Basil of Baker Street: The Great Mouse Detective, Book 1
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Classic, cute series about Sherlock-like mouse sleuth.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
It's 1885 in London, and all is not well in Holmestead, the large, comfortable mouse village in the basement at 221B Baker Street, residence of Sherlock Holmes. That's where BASIL OF BAKER STREET, THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE dwells with his good-hearted colleague, Dr. Dawson, spending many an educational evening beneath the floorboards listening to Holmes discuss his cases. Now, Holmestead is in a panic because little mouse twins Angela and Agatha -- who didn't exactly heed their mama's wise words about not running off with strangers -- have been kidnapped, and everyone turns to Basil to get the girls home.
Is It Any Good?
First published in the 1950s, Eve Titus' clever tale of a Sherlock Holmes-inspired, crime-stopping mouse delighted generations of readers, inspired a movie, and returns to delight fans old and new. It's a good introduction to the concept of detectives and crime-solving, with many references to the original Holmes stories. Some scary moments may be too much for sensitive youngsters, especially the fact that two little girls are kidnapped by evil mice known as the Terrible Three, but no real harm comes to anyone.
Victorian-era narrative and lots of dialect offer entertaining read-aloud opportunities. Illustrator Paul Galdone's endearing images of Victorian mice add to the fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about detective stories. Why do you think they're popular? Do you think they're scary, or do you have fun solving the problems?
Sometimes, as in this story, a good person does bad things because someone's threatening him or his loved ones. If somebody was trying to make you do something like that, what would you do?
How do you think London is different today from how it was at the time of the story?
Book Details
- Author: Eve Titus
- Illustrator: Paul Galdone
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Adventures, Book Characters, Cats, Dogs, and Mice
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Aladdin
- Publication date: May 17, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 6 - 9
- Number of pages: 112
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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