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Anatole (50th Anniversary Edition)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 0, age appropriate for kids over 4; suggested age 4.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    Well-aged tale of an epicurean mouse.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 4 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Anatole finds a creative, honorable way to support his family and, in return, help those who feed him.

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    Not an issue.
  • Sexy stuff:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Anatole (50th Anniversary Edition) was written by Patricia Tauzer

Parents need to know that this reprint of a popular classic of the '50s is refreshingly true to the original. However, though this is a picture book with captivating illustrations, younger readers may not fully understand the story; older kids and adults will embrace the drawings, story, and message.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about why Anatole felt bad when he heard humans talking disparagingly about mice, and why he felt he needed to do something to earn his food. Do you agree that it's better to earn things and to give something in return for the things you get? What does it mean to have self-respect or to be honorable? Families might also talk about and try different cheeses, locate Paris on a map, and practice saying the French phrases in the book.
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More on Anatole (50th Anniversary Edition)

Book Summary

When the French mouse, Anatole, realizes that humans dislike mice for sneaking in and rummaging around their homes for leftovers, he is adamant about finding a more honorable way to provide for his family. He comes up with an ingenuous plan for helping the Duvall Cheese Factory in exchange for cheese bits he can bring home.

When his plan succeeds, he becomes a "respectable business-mouse," "first vice-president in charge of cheese tasting," "a mouse of honor," and a hero to the humans as well as to the mouse community. Viva Anatole!

Is It Any Good?

Written by the award-winning Eve Titus and illustrated by Paul Galdone, this is a magnificent book on every level: The story is heartwarming and important, the characters sympathetic, and the illustrations engaging. ANATOLE is about honor and one anthropomorphic mouse's search for self-respect. The story is simply told, but scattered with clever touches that make it uniquely genuine. Especially fun are the names of the children, the list of cheeses, and the playful insertion of French phrases that tickle the tongue.

Galdone's simple, vivid illustrations add richness that draws the reader into Anatole's world. His minimal use of color complements the unpretentious lines of his drawings, especially the features of the mice, with their rounded black eyes and delicate faces. Pages alternate between black and white sketches and those tinted with red, blue, and white of the French flag. The first of 10 Anatole adventures, Anatole was originally published in 1956 and won the Caldecott Honor award.

Publisher’s Details

Publisher: Knopf, Publication date: 11/01/2006
Number of pages: 40, Price: $14.95 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 4, Read Alone: 8

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 5.0

  2. Parent Reviewer
    Anonymous
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 3.0

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