‘Mina’ will have kids on the edge of their seats

Mina by Matthew Forsythe(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022)Good to Read for:its dark humourthe exciting storya dramatic storytimeMina by Matthew Forsythe (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022) is one of those books that captivated me when I spotted it in a bookstore. And it’s a picture book that will keep kids on the edge of their seats.

I read it and laughed and enjoyed the experience of being immersed in a story that’s told through words and pictures. Forsythe’s warm, pastel-coloured illustrations (rendered in watercolour, gouache and coloured pencil) have a geometric feel that brings to mind the work of Paul Klee.

The protagonist, Mina, is a bookish mouse who lives alone with her father (which is noteworthy in picture books). I think it would be fair to see she’s an introvert. She’s shown reading most of the time. Or lying on her belly, drawing. (She’s a character I would have easily identified with as a child.) As the introduction tells us:

 

Mina lived in her own little world where nothing ever bothered her.

Except for one thing.

 

That ‘one thing’ is not yet shown. Young readers are left guessing what it might be for several pages. Even when the answer is revealed, it’s shrouded in uncertainty. Intrigued? Your kids will be, too…

Mina’s eccentric father ‘was always bringing home surprises from the outside world.’ 

An old tin can.

A ball of yarn.

Antique art (old postage stamps). 

Even a ‘band of musicians he met in the woods.’

   

They’re quirky details that bring the story alive. (Forsythe based Father mouse on his father: “He would bring home crazy things, usually marvelous but sometimes risky. He wanted to do industrial-level testing in our apartment. I remember thinking, “This is dangerous.”)

But to Mina, it’s everyday stuff that she’s used to. ‘She barely noticed any of those things.’

 

But one day her father came home and said, “Mina! Come outside. I have a really big surprise for you!”

And that’s when she started to worry.

 

This is a great place to stop and connect with your kid. Ask them for ideas as to what his surprise could be. It’s a brilliant page turn that will make kids sit up and notice

 

“It’s a squirrel!” [her father] said.

   

It’s such a deadpan (and unexpected) moment. Mina’s father is so pleased with his surprise – a massive cat that fills the page. It’s the one thing that Mina’s really bothered about. The cat sits and stares with unclear intentions. “I don’t think that’s a squirrel,” said Mina.

On the following page, the cat appears to have a slight smile as Mina’s father reasons, “…Squirrels are bigger than mice and have long bushy tails!”

It’s apparent to kids that this is a cat. Yet Father mouse is reassuringly confident. The effect is slightly unsettling and undermines that certainty – Could this be a squirrel? As the story gathers momentum, Forsythe uses this to his advantage to create suspense and humour. 

As with all good picture books, the story is nuanced and often told through the illustrations alone. For example, when the written narrative tells us that Mina couldn’t sleep – “There’s nothing to worry about,” said her father – the illustration depicts a whole other reality. Mina is sitting in bed, eyes wide in horror. Her father lies alongside her in his bed. Immediately behind the mice looms their bushy-tailed ‘squirrel’. 

And this time, it’s definitely smiling.

   

Despite the warm tones of the bedside scene, it has intentionally ominous overtones, enhanced by the darkness on the right-hand side that swallows up the cat. The suspense is building, drawing the reader further into the story. 

Father mouse attempts to reassure Mina by recounting a previous surprise that he brought home once.

 

“Remember the time I brought home those stick insects and you taught them to read. That was so much fun.

…

Now go to sleep.

Everything will be fine.

You’ll see.”

 

Mina eyeballs the cat, who grins back, slant-eyed. Observant kids will notice that the cat’s claws are now extended. Uh-oh.

There’s a delicate balance, I feel, in building suspense in a picture book without making it scary. I was a sensitive child (as were my own kids). Neither enjoyed Sendak’s beloved, Where the Wild Things Are, and they found Dr Seuss’s illustrations creepy. Forsythe exercises style and grace, striking the right balance by off-setting the darkness with light humour. A charming example would be the illustration showing Mina’s father knitting a sweater for their ‘squirrel’. In the following image, his creation adorns the cat as the mice ride it, like mahouts on an Indian elephant through a jungle of flowers. 

   

However, all is not well. Mina’s father worries that something’s wrong with their ‘squirrel’.

He’s not eating. 

Do you think he’s lonely?

Mina replies, “Perhaps…. But whatever you do, don’t bring home any more surprises.”

 

But the next day…

He brought home two more surprises.

    

Father remains oblivious to the increasing danger he’s putting them in – but Mina’s wide eye speaks volumes. By now, confident kids will be shouting, “That’s not a squirrel!” which stare, somewhat baffled, at the acorns they’ve been given to eat! So Father calls the doctor for help.

 

“Oh, I see the problem,” said the doctor.

“The problem is that these squirrels are definitely cats.”

 

Once the ruse is up, the cats leap into action. It comes almost as a relief. Now young readers know for sure that these are definitely not squirrels – and the tension is finally broken.

 

[T]he cats chased Mina and her father and the doctor into the woods.

And over the pond.

And up a tree.

   

Mina may be quiet. But she’s also brave. Armed with nothing more than a twig, she turns to face their pursuers.

 

“Stop!

“We shared our home with you!

Our food! Our toothpaste!

“And this is how you repay us?

By trying to eat us?”

 

Kids will feel aligned with Mina’s sense of indignation, while the cats reply with a dry, “Yes.”

 

And they were about to eat the mice when the strangest thing happened.

 

For once, I won’t give a spoiler. Suffice it to say those stick insects come into their own, and the mice survive another day. 

 

“I told you everything would be fine,” whispered Mina’s father.

And even though she rolled her little eyes, Mina had to admit that, for once

he was right.

 Some reader reviews criticise Mina for the father’s dubious character, highlighting him as (at best) irresponsible and (at worse) a gaslighter.

In contrast, I was hit by the story’s humour, surprise, and suspense. Mina’s father may be flawed. But to me, he comes across as warm, eccentric and caring. He feels genuine, not two-dimensional. If it wasn’t for him ‘bringing home surprises from the outside world’, this would be a dull story about an introverted mouse. I stand by Forsythe’s remark, given in an interview with Publishers Weekly, where he laments: “Something I see a lot in picture books is Very Fine Parents. They’re well represented. And parents are not always ideal.” 

If there’s a lesson to be learnt here, then it’s ambiguous. Which is no bad thing. Because Life is messy. Things aren’t always cut and dried. Sometimes two opposing positions can both be true. Ambiguity abounds. Mina encapsulates this effortlessly – and in doing so, opens up all sorts of interesting discussions with kids (one-on-one or in a group setting).

 

“Kids don’t understand that we all move through life not understanding things around us. Learning how to live is learning how to be at ease with that idea, that we don’t know, and that’s OK. We’re all always kind of floating in that uncertainty. There’s a magic and a mystery to understanding that.”

– Matthew Forsythe (Publishers Weekly Q & A) 

We all have our own quirks, interests, and flaws. That’s what makes us unique.

More importantly, adults don’t always have the answers.

Sometimes, the kid is right.

I think it’s fair to say that Mina brings a thrill to storytime by tapping into a primal fear – that there’s Something Out There. By presenting it with a spoonful of humour, Forsythe does so without crossing the line into the realm of nightmares (unlike many pretty horrific fairy tales!). Mina’s naive father keeps the danger on the right side of silly, so not only will you get to share a laugh with your kids – you may even get an extra big snuggle! 

 Tips for sharing Mina

The natural speech and deadpan writing make Mina a joy to read aloud – so have fun playing around with character voices and those dramatic pauses!

Don’t rush through the story – it will undermine the suspense. Mina’s well-crafted page turns are designed to build up the tension. So take a moment to pause and ask your child what they think might happen next…

On subsequent readings, encourage your child to ‘read’ the illustrations and discover little details (for example, the tin-can telephone and the doctor’s wooden leg.) Doing so will add layers and meanings to the story and supports your child’s visual literacy.

STORIES WORTH SHARINGMina by Matthew Forsythe(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022)Good to Read for:its dark humourthe exciting storya dramatic storytimeCopyright © 2022 Matthew Forsythe From Mina by Matthew Forsythe(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022)GOOD TO READBest picture books with a frisson of danger

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae & Russell Ayto

Mina by Matthew Forsythe

I Want My Hat Back by John Klassen

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell & Patrick Benson

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman

DANGEROUS! by Tim Warnes

BUY THE BOOKPowered by Bookshop.orgSupporting independent bookshops   “Ripe for discussion with kids”– Emily, GoodReads“Captivating”– Kirkus Reviews buy us buy uk * I EARN COMMISSION FROM THESE LINKS #AD/AFFRELATED ARTICLESAre you stuck for quality stories that you and your kids will enjoy? Sign up for your free weekly email with story recommendations and tips. sign up here © 2022 BY TIM WARNES(UNLESS OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTED)****USE OF THIRD-PARTY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL FALLS UNDER FAIR USE/FAIR DEALING PRACTICE