
Reach for this book when your child expresses frustration with being small or overlooked, or when they are struggling to stay motivated during a difficult project. This story serves as a powerful metaphor for the intellectual curiosity and persistence required to achieve the seemingly impossible. It follows a small mouse who is fascinated by the moon, even when his peers mock his scientific theories. Through trial and error, engineering, and bravery, he proves that size has no bearing on the impact of one's ideas. While the narrative is a whimsical piece of animal fiction, it is grounded in historical reality and scientific principles. The breathtaking, cinematic illustrations will captivate children as young as five, while the technical detail and historical afterword provide depth for children up to age ten. It is a perfect choice for encouraging a growth mindset, celebrating the 'outsider' perspective, and bridging the gap between imaginative storytelling and STEM history.
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Sign in to write a reviewThe approach is metaphorical and secular. The mouse faces social isolation and mockery from his community, and there is a sense of peril as he is pursued by humans who view him as a pest. The resolution is highly hopeful and triumphant.
An inquisitive 7-year-old who loves taking things apart to see how they work, or a child who feels like their 'big ideas' are not being taken seriously by adults or peers.
No specific triggers, but parents should be ready for questions about the physics of the drawings. The book is long for a standard picture book, so plan for a longer bedtime session or split it into two sittings. A parent might notice their child sighing 'I can't do it' after a failed attempt at a Lego build or a drawing, or perhaps the child has mentioned that classmates laughed at a question they asked in school.
Younger children (5-6) will be mesmerized by the 'action' of the mouse escaping and the beauty of the moon. Older children (8-10) will appreciate the technical drawings, the historical parallels to the Space Race, and the non-fiction epilogue.
Kuhlmann’s 'mouse-eye view' of history is unique for its incredible photorealistic art style. Unlike many whimsical mouse stories, the engineering here feels grounded and 'real,' making it a rare bridge between fantasy and hard science.
In 1950s New York, a small mouse observes the moon through a telescope and realizes it is a massive stone sphere, not a giant cheese as other mice believe. Ignored by his peers, he studies the works of great human scientists and begins a series of increasingly complex engineering trials. After several failures and a close call with human authorities, he successfully launches a mouse-sized rocket and becomes the first living being to walk on the lunar surface. The book concludes with a factual timeline of human space exploration.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.