The Church Mice at Bay

The Church Mice #6

by Graham Oakley

This is a picture book for young children and is one of a series about the church mice.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Humor, Animals, Adventure, Fiction

36 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Graham Oakley is a children's book author and illustrator, most active during the 1960s to 1980s. He is best known for the Church Mice series and also illustrated many book covers in the 60s.

For the current UK author of children's books at Top That! press see Graham Oakley.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

We love the Sampson and the Church Mice series, so we were really excited to find another in a charity shop. Although the illustrations are wonderful, detailed and fun to look at the storyline for this one let it down. A new vicar moves in to the vicarage who is younger than the last with modern ideas and stereotypical scenes follow. It felt like the story felt was angled at entertaining the adult reader more than the child, although I didn't find it at all entertaining unlike the other books in this series I have read which I have thoroughly enjoyed. There is also a scene where the vicar who was in the bath is caught up in a chase with the animals forcing him to run naked through the streets. I do find it tiring that children's books make the naked body something to be embarrassed about or giggle at. Sadly not one of the series that worked well in my opinion.

[Abigail · Rating 1 out of 5]

The sixth entry in Graham Oakley's picture-book series about the adventures of a group of church mice and their cat companion, The Church Mice At Bay follows Sampson, Arthur and Humphrey, and the rest of the mice, as they confront the vicar's summer holiday replacement. A hippie-type with a penchant for turning things upside down and a horror of rodents, the new vicar soon has our favorite feline in detention. Will the mice be able to save the day on their own...?

Discovered quite by chance, when I came across the first few titles at a used bookstore here in New York, the Church Mice books have been an entertaining and humorous diversion. I have enjoyed Oakley's sly sense of humor, and his detailed illustrations, and have appreciated the fact that church life is worked naturally into engaging stories that never seem to preach at the young reader, or get bogged down in any sort of didactic purpose.

Sadly, this is not the case here, and I found this installment of the series depressingly mean-spirited. It is clear from his extremely negative portrayal of the "hippie" vicar, and the many disruptive changes he institutes in the story, that Oakley sees himself as a defender of tradition. The Church Mice At Bay was first published in 1978, a time when such defenders must have felt rather besieged by the social changes taking place around them. But while one may or may not agree with those changes - in whole or in part - the implication that they were merely the result of fashion trends, or the idea that those who believed in them were cruel and small-minded animal-haters, is not something I can approve of.

Sadly, given the enjoyment Oakley's previous books have brought me, I simply can't recommend this one to young readers. There's already enough oversimplification of complex issues and demonization of the "other" out there - why throw more of it at impressionable children?

[Zoë · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 2.5 year old niece asked that I read her this book in what was clearly a delay tactic at the end of her Christmas Day with us. We have these as they were a favourite of my husband's as a child and thus we have inherited them.

IDK. Is a new trendy hippy curate really that controversial? Why shouldn't a man be able to do yoga? He was terrified of mice, so why did he need to be terrorised by the mice? He was only covering for a holiday, so the usual Vicar was expected back... And chasing the guy naked from his bath and down the road is a bit extreme. It seemed more pitched at adults - a lot of the language was very 'fusty' and inaccessible for contemporary children and I felt like an idiot reading the words aloud. Not a fan.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful illustrations, droll entertaining story. Delightful and hilarious!

[LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sixth book in the Church Mice series is one of the very best (and one I had as a kid so these two statements may be related). The vicar goes on holiday, leaving the mice at the mercies of a new age curate who certainly takes a lot of liberties with a temp job. Unfortunately the new guy hates mice and they face their biggest dangers yet. There are tonnes of huge panels in this, filled with the exquisite, adorable and hilarious details we have come to expect. The text is much pithier than previously and I love it.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of picture books. They are unfortunately out of print but the Seattle Library has several of the books.

[Friend of Pixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the first 6 books in the Church mice series, this was the funniest for us. And for me, Logan's mom, the 1970s clothes and goings-on only made it funnier.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The parson goes on holiday and something tells me that he might not have met the curate who is filling in before his holiday was due to start... The curate is a thoroughly modern hippie type, who decides to do exciting things like redecorate the church ( I can just see the Diocesan Advisory Committee having kittens) and have a garden party. The mice could probably have put up with that, but the curate turns out to be deathly afraid of mice, doesn't give them their weekly stipend of cheese, and threatens to replace Sampson with a cat who WILL catch mice, a threat which he promptly carries out.Chaos ensues, the parson is called back from his holiday early and is warmly greeted by Sampson and the church mice, and order is rapidly restored.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable series that has enough overlapping characters from book to book, without requiring you to read the series in order. Detailed illustrations that add humor to the story for the adult reader.

[Muireann · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Respect Rodent Rights'

[Gloriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sly and clever humor, not limited to the kids either.

[Eyehavenofilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sampson, Arthur and Humphrey have to contend with AA substitute vicar when their beloved friend goes on vacation. But this particular pillar of the church hates mice so the crew is in for a wee bit of conflict, for the fur covers pals. Dispute the problems they group knows that this is only temporary and they must brave the storm thill their beloved vicar returns, but what happens in the mean time makes for are wild and eventful tale...Ed... Tail.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read The Church Mice (first book in the series) first but I couldn't find it at our library, so we checked this one out.

A very fun story of the church mice and Sampson (church cat) dealing with a visiting curate while their own vicar goes on vacation. They don't like this new man, so the devise a plan to get him to leave, but it goes horribly awry.

Excellent, fun illustrations!

[Karen L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute and funny! I love these stories about Samson the church cat and his mice friends, who inhabit the local Wortlethorpe church and vicarage In this one the Vicar goes on holiday and the substitute curate is a wild hippie type who makes noise in the church and hates mice. As usual the illustrations are colorful, detailed and will delight both child and adult.