Hermelin

by Mini Grey

Hermelin is a noticer. He is also a finder. The occupants of Offley Street are delighted when their missing items are found, but not so happy to learn that their brilliant detective is a mouse! What will happen to Hermelin Will his talents go unrewarded

Genres: Picture Books, Mystery, Animals, Childrens, Friendship, Detective, Humor

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2013

About the author

Mini Grey was given her name after being born in a Mini in a car park in Newport, Wales. She studied for an MA in Sequential Illustration at Brighton under the tutelage of John Vernon Lord. Mini also worked as a primary school teacher in Oxford, where she now lives. Her books includeEgg Drop, The Pea and the Princess (shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal), Biscuit Bear(winner of the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Gold Award), Traction Man is Here (winner of the Boston Horn Book Award and shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal), The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon (winner of the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Bronze Award and winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal), and Traction Man meets Turbodog. Mini Grey is one of the Big Picture's ten Best New Illustrators. (source: https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/auth...)

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Educated Rodent, in this case, a literate mouse, solves a number of minor mysteries in a street of houses. There is also a clever child covering the mysteries and their resolutions. A Holmes and Watson coming together. Amusing and fun to spend time on the pictures working it all out.

Library copy

[Leilah Skelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be still my heart. Here is one of those once in a blue moon, beautiful, timeless, memorable, heart-warming stories that you’ll want to read over and over and treasure. You might even find a small person to share it with. I’m certain that they would love it too.

Hermelin is a smart little mouse with a flair for typing and a knack for solving mysteries. It is not long before his detective skills have been put to use to help every resident in Offley Street. He may be small in stature, but he is huge in heart. Will he be appreciated for his talents? Will their gratitude be turnin’, when they find out that he’s vermin? And will he find a friend to help him?

I’ve always been a fan of Mini Grey’s illustrative style, but this really is an outstandingly beautiful book. “I could write labels. I could write lists. I could write letters. I could write ANYTHING.” Yes, Mini Grey, I believe very much that you could!

Please buy this book, and make room in your home for your own Hermelin.

[Nola Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming book. Hermelin the mouse lives in the attic of a house in Offley Street. One day he spots some cries for help on the community noticeboard. There's a missing cat, goldfish, reading glasses, handbag and other possessions. He decides to investigate the disappearances and reunite the owners with their treasures. He communicates with them all through typewritten notes and they don't know he's a mouse until he turns up to a party held in his honour. Will they accept him as one of their own or will Hermelin be branded as a pest?

This is a lovely story and there are lots of things in the illustrations to look for and read. Highly recommended.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermelin is a mouse who lives in the attic of Number 33 Offley Street. His attic is filled with books and boxes and a typewriter that Hermelin uses to write with. When Hermelin notices that the Offley Street Notices board is filled with people missing things, he knows just what he has to do. So he starts working as a mouse detective and solving the mysteries of Offley Street. He does this by noticing things and then leaving typed notes for the people to help them find their missing items. Then when tragedy almost strikes the youngest person on Offley Street, Hermelin is the one to save the day! Soon everyone wants to know exactly who this Hermelin person is, so they invite him to a thank you party in his honor. He just isn’t quite what they were expecting…

A new Mini Grey book is always a treat and this one is perfectly lovely. Hermelin is a winning character with plenty of pluck as he goes about solving mysteries. Happily, the mysteries are just as small as Hermelin himself, making the book all the more jaunty and fun. Grey spends some time showing Hermelin’s attic and how he lives. The small details here add a rich warmth to the book and it is also the details that create such a vibrant world on Offley Street with the humans as well.

Done in her signature style, the illustrations are filled with details. One can read the cereal box, the milk carton, and the titles on the books as well as giggling at the flavors of cat food on the shelf. Hermelin himself is a lovely white mouse with inquisitive eyes and a face that shows emotions clearly. The entire book is a pleasure to immerse yourself into and simply enjoy.

Clever and filled with adventure, the vast appeal of this detective story is no mystery at all. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this. Sharp-eyed kids will solve the mysteries alongside Hermelin. Detailed illustrations have that sort of Brett Helquist-y old-fashioned detail thing going on, with sweet antiquey collage elements. And Hermelin himself is the most sensitive, intelligent, and stylish mouse since Stuart Little.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely book about a detective mouse 'Hermelin' who helps his neighbours find their missing things by leaving them anonymous notes as to where to find them. They throw a thank you party in order to meet the detective only to find a mouse arrives. Feeling unwated and alone after discovering he is a pest, he decides to leave Offley Street. However he is convinced to stay after a note is left for him from a young girl Emily who requests a detective's help despite him being a mouse. This book can hold so much discussio in the classroom in terms of the hidden images on every page and the messages to the story. The busy, vibrant pictures and the differentiation of font, style and position of writing on every page will make it very engaging for children.

[Zoe Mobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book made me fall in love with Hermelin!! I felt sorry for him after all the help he gave others but because of his appearance he was seen as a pest, but I'm glad it ended happily. In the classroom this could be used for detective activities and letter writing.

One thing I liked about the book were its busy illustrations however I could see how some children could find this distracting and hard to read.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this when my partner was teaching this to his primary school class. Lovely little book about a clever mouse!

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Hermelin the detective. He helped people around the neighborhood find lost things. There is also a side character reading about the mysteries and plays an important role towards the end. Lots of beautiful imagery. There is a lot to look at which kids will enjoy.

[Laura Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermelin is a wonderful character that we follow on his journey solving crimes, but also his discovery of what a mouse is to humans. Except Emily, who joins Hermelin in solving mysteries on the street they live. Provides many opportunities to be used in the classroom; looking at the cases and recounts of them, having our own cases in the school/classroom that Hermelin has solved and left notes from, use alongside other detective stories etc.

[Kathryn Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermelin is a story of a mouse who helps the people of Offley Street recover their lost items. I would use this mystery book with third graders because, while the text itself is relatively simple, the physical structure of the words on the page is not conventional and it requires the reader to pay close attention to "clues" in word bubbles or within the illustrations. Hermelin shows that he cares for the people of Offley Street and takes it upon himself to solve the mysteries of various missing objects. He leaves anonymous notes describing the whereabouts of missing purses, jewelry, and cats and the people of Offley Street are very grateful to the mysterious detective that has recovered so many lost items! As soon as they invite Hermelin to "a party in his honor" to meet him, I was immediately nervous for the outcome. It was clear the people of Offley Street didn't know the detective was a mouse! Hermelin goes to the party and is upset when people scream and shoo him away- it was sad to see him so deflated after finding out mice were considered "pests." The story ends when Emily leaves him a note that requests his detective help- she doesn't care Hermelin is a mouse. There's a satisfying ending and I enjoyed the fact that Emily was able to see past Hermelin's appearance and appreciate him for his talents- I think this is a great message to share with elementary schoolers!
I wouldn't necessarily use this book as a read aloud, because I think the illustrations and structure of the writing is fun for students to examine closely on their own. I would include this book in my classroom library for students to read in their free time and would recommend it to students who are not yet able to read text with complex vocabulary and dense writing. I might use this book in a "theme" study and ask students to identify the message of the book and relate it to a real life circumstance. This book is also a wonderful demonstration of different ways complex picture books can be written and why attention to detail is beneficial when piecing together the mystery and understanding the story. This book also has potential to discuss foreshadowing events and making inferences.
This book is a WOW book for me because I like the message of the story and how the words and illustrations interact. I think it is age appropriate for third graders and it will give them practice following along with text that isn't written a traditional style. The story itself is creative and the character of Hermelin is developed in a way that makes the reader want him to be appreciated and liked by the town. Very good book and I recommend it for elementary teachers!

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more picture book reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

Hermelin is a rodent that lives on Osprey street and spends all his time observing his neighbors so that when things go missing he is able to solve the case. But there is one resident that may be observing Hermelin! What will he do when he's found out?

I got this one for me because it looked like a fun little mystery book where my nephew and I could talk about all the little bits of writing that were added. He didn't understand what a typewriter is (haha!) he kept asking if it was a computer... Still we had more fun with the book than I expected. I thought it would be too much reading but he breezed through to the end. He enjoyed the cases and looking back to the first spread with the Osprey resident to see the clues that lead Hermelin to solve the cases.

The drawings were quite cute and we were conflicted about which ones to redraw! Ultimately he liked the one with Hermelin's new friend!

BOTTOM LINE: A perfect mystery for a new reader!

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my picture book reviews in a special feature called Boo's Picture Gallery...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born in a box designed for cheese, Hermelin makes his home in the attic of 33 Offley Street. The residents are very busy individuals, and Hermelin decides to put his wits to work in solving several small mysteries for the human inhabitants of the building. He sees notices seeking lost objects and pets, and proceeds to quickly type out notes informing their owners of their whereabouts. The grateful residents throw a party in his honor, hoping to meet this wonderful detective, but only one of them isn't afraid of mice. As do all books by this author, this one tugs determinedly at the heartstrings, reminding readers that everyone seeks love, acceptance, and a home of his/her own. It's cool to see Hermelin typing up those messages and figuring out what everyone is up to.

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

After making his home in the attic of an apartment building, Hermelin, a small mystery-solving mouse, notices the building notice board covered with notices of missing items. Hermelin sets out to help return lost items by writing notes to the various apartment tenants, helping to recover a missing bracelet, purse, teddy bear, and more. When the tenants throw a party in the mysterious Hermelin's honor, he's touched, until the attendees scatter in a panic at the sight of a mouse. When Hermelin discovers that mice are considered pests, he sadly decides to leave his home behind, until a young tenant befriends him.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cool! I love how the illustrations have tons of details, you could find something new in this book every time you read it. The story is really funny and sweet too. The ending left it open for a sequel which I hope is going to happen.

[Caryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skye: "I like how the details on the first pages are clues to help you solve the mysteries." Felix: "I like it because it's a mouse. Mice are sneaky!" Mini Grey is always a hit in our house. Love her illustrations!

[Cosette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Seven googol, sixteen octillion, three trillion, nine thousand, nine hundred three thumbs up!!"
—my 6 year old

[Ellie L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps my favourite of Mini Grey’s works, with lovely themes of acceptance and courage. The residents of Offley Street have found that their possessions are going missing, but help is at hand from an unknown detective… Hermelin the mouse. Wanting to thank and find out the identity of their helper, Hermelin is invited to a party- but the reception received is not that which he had expected!
This was a fun and endearing read which has the versatility to be used throughout the key stages, particularly because the depth and detail of Grey’s illustrations allows for so much exploration at any age. There is a montage-like overlapping to her pictures which is not only creative, but which perfectly builds the anticipation and drama surrounding the events on Offley Street. This is so entertaining, and she recreates the typically punchy crime story in a way that feels familiar, yet is presented in an inventive way requiring a high level of participation from the reader.
I adored this book. Each character is so individual and I feel this would be a memorable and well loved story in any classroom.

[Maggie Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an adorable story. The book is written from a mouses point of view. One morning a mouse wakes up and is able to read. Hermelin woke up and decided that he wanted to be able to help the people on Offley Street. He was able to solve the crimes that people put on the crime board in the street. When he found what people were missing he would write them a letter, and sign his name. One day the people of Offley street wanted to thank Hermelin for what he has done. When he went to the party he were afraid that he was a mouse and run off. Hermelin decided that he was going to move somewhere else and went to bed. The next morning when he woke up there was a note from someone who. When he went to see who it was, he saw it was a human. They were the best of friends and decided to start their own detective business together. The illustrations through out the book give a great insight of what is going on in the book. This book would be great for grades 1-5.

[Jennifer Villalon-Palacios · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermelin: The Detective Mouse is a mystery book that I would read aloud in grades K-4. A great activity that I can think of to have students do is to create a short story using Emily's point of view. In the text Hermelin looks up the definition of a mouse and finds words like 'unclean', 'unhygienic' and ' unwanted' we could have students look up the scientific definition or reliable definitions of the word mouse. Also, taking a look at all the 'un-' words, asking students to think of other words that have the same prefix and having them figure out what the prefix means. You can create an anchor chart about prefixes, suffixes and root words. This mystery book has enough mystery to keep children engaged and guessing what will happen next. The illustrations are vivid and playful, which I prefer in illustrated books.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hermelin is a mouse who sleeps in a cheese box in the attic of Apartment 33. He discovers his love for solving mysteries and helps everyone in his block finding lost items. He even manages to save a baby. Things go down hill for him though when people discover that he is a mouse, and he feels very discouraged until someone comes in to help him.

I loved this book a lot, but I feel like for a children's book there is a lot of words. I do not know if this is good for younger children, but for older children it is a fun book to read with them. The illustrations in the book are amazing.

This book would be good for critical thinking. As we read about the different mysteries, I will ask my students what they think happened to the items based on the first page before we read the answers to the mysteries.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hermelin is a mouse who solves mysteries of lost and found possessions. When he helps save a baby from ending up in the garbage truck he is invited to a thank you party in his honor as no one knows who he is. But when he shows up there is general mayhem over a mouse in a shop and that is when Hermelin realizes that, as a mouse, he is considered a pest. He packs up his belongings and decides to move away in the morning. However while he is sleeping he receives a mouse-sized note inviting him to breakfast with Emily. They become fast friends and open a detective agency together.

Darling story. Not recommended for group sharing as the pictures have immense detail that would have children clamoring for another look. Best for one-on-one sharing.

[Calyn Joy]

Hermelin is a genius mouse, who lives in an attic. One day, he notices that everyone in the block of houses he lives in seems to be missing things: purses, necklaces, goldfish. He finds the missing objects (most simply mislaid), and leaves notes to tell the owners where they are. He even saves a baby from being thrown in the garbage truck. The people invite the mysterious detective to a party, but they freak out when they see a mouse. Hermelin decides to move, but the neighbor girl invites him to start a detective agency with her.
This is a fun story. The illustrations are pretty detailed, and the situations Hermelin finds the objects in are humorous.
This could be a fun theme for a reading comprehension group - solve the mystery! Hermelin's name is a little tricky though.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about Hermelin, an intelligent little mouse who sets about solving (anonymously) all sorts of minor mysteries on Offley Street. I loved all the details in the pictures - by paying close attention, you can work out yourself what some of the upcoming mysteries might be, or what has happened in others. A lot of fun, plus adorable illustrations.

While it could be a fun starter for an activity-based storytime for an older storytime crowd (pair with another mystery picture book and then give the kids their own mystery to solve, maybe?), there are a lot of details in the pictures that might be hard to see in a larger audience.

[Buku Arutala · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mouse didn't know that he was a mouse. He just knew that his name was Hermelin which meant the name of cheese brand that he always ate. Someday, he became a detective and succeeded finding the lost stuffs of the occupants because he watched and knew their activities and habits. Since that day, the people made announcement to search for who Hermelin was and invited to come in Offley Street. Surprisingly, something came out was the mouse and they were afraid and shocked so that Hermelin suddenly ran after saw their responses. He was very sad after he knew that he was a mouse as know that as a pest.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hermelin is a smart and helpful detective, wanting to help all his neighbors solve their mysteries. The only problem is that he is a mouse and people generally hate mice. He uses his typewriter to leave helpful notes, allowing him to be a hero in the shadows.

The illustrations in this book are cute, and I love how the typed notes are scattered across the pages. The ending leaves me thinking that this could perhaps one day become a series? I hope so, because this book is charming. I would recommend it for elementary school ages.

[Krysta McFarland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This modern fantasy book, good for grades 1-3, is a cute book but honestly I found it a little overwhelming. I think it would be a good book to have in your classroom for independent reading but not for a read a loud. There are just so many words on the page that I think it would take up a lot of your class time when you could be reading, or doing, something else. I do think the story and idea are very cute. The fact that they gave such a small creature such a big role helps show children that anyone can do something when they set their mind to it.

[Mike Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book by accident and was immediately drawn in Mini Grey's illustrations, which are just delightlful. There is a lot to look at as you follow Hermelin the mouse (named after a cheese), who helps the residents of Offley Street find their missing items. You'd like to think everyone would be grateful, but when they throw a party for the mystery detective they don't get quite what they expect. The story is told in a comicbook style, with text, pictures and bubble speech interspersed and as such is suitable for a wide age range.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about Hermelin who doesn't realize he's a mouse.
He notices all the things going on in the building he lives and types notes for the residents to help them out.
When they try to give him a thank you party, the appearance of a mouse (him) scares them all away.
Once he realizes what a mouse is, Hermelin is despondent.
But one of the residents puts 2 and 2 together and invites him to breakfast. They become friends.