Martin's Mice

by Dick King-Smith

An engaging animal fantasy with plenty of humorous insight into the human condition--written by the author of "Babe: The Gallant Pig". A kitten loves caring for his friends, the mice, and it's not until he becomes the pet of an apartment dweller that he realizes why his siblings have made fun of him for it.

Genres: Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Cats, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 1988

About the author

Dick King-Smith was born and raised in Gloucestershire, England, surrounded by pet animals. After twenty years as a farmer, he turned to teaching and then to writing children's books.

Dick writes mostly about animals: farmyard fantasy, as he likes to call it, often about pigs, his special favorites. He enjoys writing for children, meeting the children who read his books, and knowing that they get enjoyment from what he does.

Among his well-loved books is Babe, The Gallant Pig, which was recently made into a major motion picture, and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Dick lived with his wife in a small 17th-century cottage, about three miles from the house where he was born.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner from this author of Babe: The Gallant Pig. I loved it, and judging by they condition my library's copy is in, children do, too. The animals' voices seem so authentic... if the could talk, King-Smith knows exactly how they would! There's lots of different kinds of humor, from word-play to satire to slapstick, and adventure, and even a few bits where some of us might need to reach for a tissue.

My only complaint? Too short!

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this book I was in the 4th/5th grade. To be honest, no I haven't re-read this since. And the main reason why I wouldn't is because it might ruin my childhood impression and my experience. I'm afraid to ruin that childhood memory by re-reading this with a judgmental adult mind. So this review will have to be from my memory of how I liked it way back then.

I'm rating this 5/5, and that's because to me it was a 5/5 back then. This was the book that changed my life. Crazy, but true. I hated reading back then. Because of my background and not being born in the US, English did not come easy at first. It was hard and horrible. I hated reading for what seemed like a long while. Until after this book that is. I don't know what it was but this book made me fall in love with reading, and pretty much the rest was history. I've been a major book worm (or more accurately book addict) since.

I also remember this book making me cry back then. This could be very well why it left such a deep impression. There was just something so touching about the relationship between Martin and his mice. There was a very real and tangible relationship between the characters, and the portrayal of the human condition simply grabbed that troubled illiterate child that I was back then.

And so to me, this book will always be amazing.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

In one of his more thoughtful novels, Dick King-Smith looks at the fine line between friendship and possessiveness...and how we react to learning uncomfortable truths about ourselves. Cats are found on almost any farm, but not cats like Martin. Unlike his brother Robin and sister Lark, Martin hates harming mice, those dear, pretty creatures. His mother, Dulcie Maude, strictly insists he eat the mice she catches for Martin and his siblings, but swallowing the flesh of dead mice sickens him and breaks his heart. How glad he is when Dulcie Maude stops hunting for her children, declaring they're ready to fend for themselves. Martin subsists on cat food put out by the farmer's wife, but doesn't forget about mice entirely. Humans have pets, such as the white rabbits the farmer's daughter owns in hutches by the garden. Could Martin catch a mouse and keep it as a pet? A bold choice for a cat, but Martin isn't like other felines. So he sets out to acquire a pet mouse.

With little effort Martin nabs a mouse named Drusilla and plops her into an old bathtub in the loft over the cart-shed. The mouse is terrified, but safe from Robin, Lark, and Dulcie Maude; mice don't normally inhabit the loft, so the cats never hunt here. Drusilla is pregnant and hungry, so Martin inquires around the farm as to what mice eat. He brings suitable food to the tub, and gathers more at an elevated rate once Drusilla's tiny pink children are born, but Martin can only do so much to keep her happy as long as she's restricted to the tub. A tough alley cat comes along and tries to eat her, but Martin fights back despite his lack of physical prowess. He adores Drusilla and her young ones and won't let anything befall them if he can prevent it. He even corrals a buck to keep Drusilla company and produce more mice. He'd love to keep them all in the tub as his pets for always.

Martin occasionally trusts Drusilla, Cuthbert (her buck), and their mouse cubs outside the tub, but one day they escape. Martin puts out a plea via the farm animals for Drusilla and family to return, but as fond as she's grown of Martin, she firmly declines. She's afraid he'll dump her back in the tub, and that's no life for a wild mouse. Drusilla wants to be free to raise children and send them into the world, then begin the process all over. Martin vows not to put her in the tub, but Drusilla isn't taking any chances. Martin is sad he'll never see his pet again, but he embarks on his own adventure of captivity when he's purchased by a woman from town whose over-the-top affections stifle Martin. Is this how Drusilla felt, subject to the whims and confinement of an owner incapable of empathizing? She may still want nothing to do with Martin if he escapes and finds his way back to the farm, but he's determined to show Drusilla he's a changed cat. What would a happy ending look like for Martin, Drusilla, and her ever-expanding family?

This book offers perhaps more food for thought than I can digest in a single reading. Being Martin's pet in the tub would likely mean a lifetime of free food for Drusilla, Cuthbert, and generations of their descendants, as well as security from the deadly dangers most mice face. Martin can't guarantee his mother, siblings, or another cat won't wander into the loft and gobble his pets, but they're safer here than around the farm. Is Martin's provision a good thing, though? If anyone promises to shield us from hardship as long as we surrender control of our lives to them, is it mercy or captivity, as surely as if we were trapped in a bathtub for the remainder of our days? Martin's Mice handles these questions with a light touch. And there are bigger issues to wrestle with. Inevitably we feel some ownership over loved ones, a melding of responsibility, pride, and affection. But how do we know when we've crossed the line from being passionate about them to behaving as though they belong to us? Martin violates Drusilla's autonomy, though his intentions are pure. Can he learn to step back and be a friend without asserting ownership, and can Drusilla recognize his kind heart and grant him a second chance at a relationship with her? Martin's Mice is a subtle, nuanced story that invites contemplation long after the read is over. I know it gave me a lot to consider.

Dick King-Smith has an agreeable writing style; I couldn't tire of his books if I read ten in a row. The narratives aren't intense, but the protagonists are easy to cheer for even when they have mistakes to learn from. Martin's Mice stacks up decently against some of the author's best books; I see why it's one of his most popular novels. I'd rate it two and a half stars, and I'm very close to rounding up to three. Long live Dick King-Smith, master of the English farm story for kids.

[Friend of Pixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the King-Smith books we've read so far (and we're on a roll with those), this is by far Logan's favorite. A barn cat named Martin thinks mice are cute and doesn't want to kill them. When he sees that the farm girl keeps rabbits as pets, he decides he's going to keep a mouse. He finds one, but from the beginning, it's not as simple as Martin imagined. To begin with, Drusilla the mouse isn't that keen on the idea. Then, when he convinces her and gets her all set up in an old bathtub in a hay shed, he has to worry about getting her food and water, cleaning up after her, and protecting her from his siblings who feel that mice are definitely for eating! When Drusilla has babies, and then Martin's tough old tomcat dad appears on the scene, Martin's paws are full. I enjoy reading King-Smith aloud because he's funny and, considering talking animals figure largely in his stories, surprisingly realistic. I loved in this book that Martin has to cope with the realities of pet-keeping, right down to having to find Drusilla a mate when she wants to have babies.

[Romina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was 8. This was one of the first books I ever read and actually liked reading. I'm a little older now but I still absolutely think the characters are adorable. The plot is fresh and rather simple, it is meant to be enjoyed by children but it is also a great escape from the usual hours long historical fiction/sci-fi books I like to read nowadays. It is very memorable. I don't get to read about cats who own mice very often.

I highly recommend it! :D

[Deity World · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute educational read for all ages this authors writing always cheers me up

[Nurhayati Ramlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was squealing silently on my desk when I finish this. I love it!!

Martin's Mice is a story about an adorable and kind kitten who doesn't like to eat mouse. No, he would rather keep them as a pet because he was so fond of them. He kept a mice in an abandoned bathtub in the farm, but rather than seeing it as an owner-pet relationship, Martin and Drusilla are more like friends to me.

Martin might not be like the ordinary cats that like to hunt and eat mouse, he can be a bit slow and naive, but all in all, he is such a kind hearted being. My favourite parts of the book will be when he met his father, Pug for the first time. One would think a tabby and wild cat like Pug to be harsh and rude but Pug turned out to be such a great and understanding father compared to Martin's mother. I love them both! Pug supported Martin even until the end and never even once called him names. In fact, he ended up making acquintance with all the mouse that belongs to Martin. hahaha.

It's the story about being different and how it's alright to be yourself. It's the story about learning the value of freedom and how you can love someone without the need to keep them trapped. And it's the story about a young heart who wants nothing but to stand for what he truly wants/belief.

I love Martin (and pssst... Pug too!)

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This adorable story follows Martin, a farmyard cat who doesn't want to eat mice. Instead, Martin begins keeping a pet mouse confined in a bathtub, until he learns just how awful it is to imprisoned as a pet.

I loved the delightful writing style with all the humor and silly situations that Martin goes through. Poor Martin is quite clueless when it comes to the workings of a farm, and forgets the proper place of each animal. This leads to a lot of ridiculously funny dialogue with various farm animals.
This would be a wonderful book to read aloud, with different voices for the cows, sheep, pigs, and ducks all around the farm.
I found the plot to be interesting and surprising, despite its simplicity and straightforward story-telling style. A very enjoyable read!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read it to my son, and he loved it as much as I always did (as did our cat, who always comes in for story time too!)

[regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very loving book! It is an easy read though. I had read this in third grade and loved it!

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Re-read in August 2017]

We got a new copy of this book at the library where I work, and I was trying to explain to my colleague why I loved it so much. I was slightly hormonal at time, so it mostly consisted of me saying, "He's a cat T_T and he keeps a mouse as a pet T_T" and clutching the book to my heart. I almost didn't want to reread it after that, in case it didn't live up to those perfect childhood memories, but I was relieved to find it's still utterly adorable. The father/son relationship between Pug and Martin made my heart ache. (Shut up, I'm still hormonal.) The dialogue is dated, but charmingly so -- "hullo" and "jolly good" and "cunning fellow". And Dick King-Smith's love of animals shines through the story: he never once talks down to his readers. As an adult I appreciate that all the more, because it means the story is still as enjoyable as it was when I read it twenty years ago.

[Crystal Falconer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my childhood favorites! Read it again as an adult and I really think I may add it to my collection permanently! So warm and sweet and humorous:)

[Marco Nicol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute and I really enjoyed it. Never knew about this book before today until searching for a book to complete a summer reading challenge of reading a book from the year I was born. Heart-warming and was impossible to put down. Read it in one sitting. Gave me a few laughs as well!

[Niamh]

Martins Mice
Who ever heard of a cat that doesn’t like mice?! Martin is a kitten of Dulcie Maude a farm cat, Martin is part of a litter of three. He has a brother and sister Robin and Lark. Martin is a kind hearted and endearing character. He likes mice, but he doesn’t like eating or killing them unlike his siblings. He likes to talk to the mice and he likes to be their friend much to the disgust of his mother. Martin is set free by his mother to go and fend for himself! The first day he is left in his own devices he catches a mouse, Drusilla. Martin likes the mouse instantly and wants to keep her as a pet so he goes to the shed and finds an old bathtub to keep his new mouse in. Drusilla is pregnant at the time and produces eight babies, much to martins delight and excitement. Naturally he kept his hobby a secret from the rest of his family, but since there isn’t any other mice in the hay shed and his siblings deem him to be a coward, this isn’t too difficult. Things carry on fine throughout the book when Martin cares for and feeds the babies and also when Drusilla feeds them and weans them with the food Martin so kindly gets them every day, but after awhile the bath gets to crowded for both the babies and Drusilla and she’s miserable. She told Martin that she was exhausted and that it wasn’t fair on her or her babies to be stuck in the bathtub. She wasn’t able to deal with the constant noise and her children were also desperate to escape her clutches. So reluctantly Martin decides to let them go after some advice he acquired from the farm’s pig. The plots constant twisting and turning makes this children’s book a real exciting page turner, from the vicious tom cat showing heart and freeing Drusilla to Drusilla’s escape and Martins temporary imprisonment as a pet to a town lady, to his return to the farm and much more. This story is very compelling and interesting. I would recommend the story to eleven or twelve year olds. There is great humour and the animal characters add something special to the story. It’s an action packed adventure right through, the only downfall with the book that I can see was the length of it. The cleverly created animal characters with their own unique emotions and feelings makes Dick King Smith’s children novel a smash! Martin is like many children naive and curious and he is learning as he goes this is why I feel the novel would appeal to make children that are feeling the same way.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin, the cat, throws up the first time his mother forces him to eat a mouse. He can never bring himself to actually kill one. In fact, when he does finally catch a mouse he turns it into a pet and names it, Drusilla. Soon, Drusilla has nine pups. Martin provides them with food and wades in the farm's pond to provide them with water (much to the delight of his brother and sister who always thought Martin was a little strange). When the young mice beg for freedom, Martin lets them go with a heavy heart. Soon Drusilla and her new husband, Cuthbert, set up house-keeping in an abandoned tub in the farmer’s loft. One day, the farmer sees Martin in the loft. Worried that the farmer will discover his pets, Martin quickly hides Drusilla and Cuthbert. In the process, Cuthbert faints, and Drusilla thinks that Martin killed him. Drusilla says that she can never trust Martin again. As a result, the mice find a new home and refuse to see Martin. The cat grieves for the loss of his pets, but his life soon takes a dramatic shift. A woman visits the farm and insists that she must have Martin for a pet. She takes Martin to the city and forces him to live in her fourth-floor apartment. Now Martin knows how Drusilla and Cuthbert felt. When the cat eventually escapes, he returns to the farm with a whole new perspective. King-Smith spins another “farmyard fantasy” that endows likable animals with human foibles. He tells this story about every mouse or cat’s need for freedom with humor and warmth.

[Gillian James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always loved this book as a child and I am really pleased my daughter enjoyed it just as much. It is a book that appeals to young children as it is about farm animals and pets but it contains plenty of humour for the adult reader. Although the animals are anthropomorphised they maintain enough animal characteristics to make the story convincing. For example the relationship between Martin's parents is not the conventional cosy marriage found in children's stories and Martin's mother is rather rough in her maternal care and never sentimental.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my absolute favourite book in whole world when I was a child; infact, I loved it so much I stole the first copy I read from my school library and my mother had to return it! I highly recommend anyone with children to pick up this book for them/to read to them. I'd still like to read it again now, if I'm honest!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really enjoyable, funny and really easy children's chapter book. It had really well-written illustrations, great characters, really good humor and a really interesting story. I haven't read this book in a very long time. This is going to be one of my favorite Dick King-Smith books I've ever read in my whole life. I highly recommend this book to both kids and adults.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good and it would make a perfect story for kids grades 1-5. It's a touching yet slightly silly story of a kitten who keeps mice as pets. It's an easy book to read and not to long.

[DS Coremans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revisiting this book as an adult reader for the first time since hearing it read as a child was a wonderful exercise in revisiting and reviewing the early inspirations which led to my love of reading.

This beautiful story has a realist darkness to it which is similar to the work of Dahl, but uniquely less bizarre. The anthropomorphic narrative explores thematically the relationships and expectations of parenting, the non-nuclear family structure, the importance of being both independent and self-assured.

Dick King-Smith never seems to talk down to his readers covering topics such as pregnancy and biology yet without ever going into too much detail. Indeed, if you know you know, and if you don’t then King-Smith’s work is merely offered as an invitation to learn while entertaining along the way.

I would highly recommend this book to young readers as the story has stuck with me from the youngest age until now and returning to the story as an adult reader in no way diminishes the book which is as enjoyable and immersive now as it was twenty-five years ago.

DSC
www.fodibyli.com
#FoDiByLi

[Lazellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favourite books as a child, and I've just reread it as an adult for the first time in many years. I was surprised at just how much I remembered, some phrases word for word, so it clearly had an impact on my young mind! I was a big fan of Dick King-Smith, but this was always my favourite of his books.

The book tells the story of Martin, a farm kitten, who hates the idea of killing mice. When he catches a pregnant mouse, Drusilla, he decides to keep her and her children as pets, in an empty bathtub.

This book has such a sweet story, and very lovable characters. I remember being quite upset in places, when I read this as a child. Understandably it didn't have quite the same emotional clout reading it as an adult, but I'm clearly no longer the intended market!

If you're looking for a kid's book, I'd wholeheartedly recommend this one. It's a lovely story, and will always hold a special place in my memory.

[Joc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think everyone (young or old) should read it. For a young child, it is a story of how a cat learns how to be a true friend. For an adult, it subtly touches on a lot of important social issues that I feel are important to think about, even discuss. These are deftly woven into such a compelling story that one can, like Martin, be drawn onwards throughout his journey and reach the end before realizing there are a lot of things to reflect upon. For example, Martin's question about the animals humans eat and the animals they keep as pets is really one that many humans have yet to give a good answer to, even to themselves. Is this why some reviewers said that this book gave them a lot to think and did not point out any flaws in the book but gave it a poor rating? One can only wonder...

[Guguk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin adalah anak kucing yang lahir di peternakan. Kucing peternakan umumnya dipelihara untuk mengusir tikus (dengan cara dimakan), tapi ini si Martin malah merasa bahwa tikus itu lucu dan imut, dan dia ingin memeliharanya!

Ini buku anak-anak yang rasanya 'nggak-terlalu-anak-anak' („• ֊ •„) Antara makan-memakan, mangsa-memangsa dijelaskan dengan apa adanya. Juga soal keluarga, khususnya keluarga hewan. Dan terutama, apa arti dari "memelihara hewan" itu. Rasanya agak sedih, karena sekarang aku tinggal bersama seekor kucing, dan kadang aku ngerasa diriku nggak berguna dan nggak layak untuk hidup, apalagi untuk memelihara hewan. Apakah Nyonya Nyaon merasa aku ini justru bikin repot? (つω`｡)

*kembali ke bukunya*
~secara keseluruhan bukunya menghibur, kok!＼(٥⁀▽⁀ )／

[Levi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book about a cat who didn't like to eat mice and instead kept one as a pet. It shares his experiences from a kitten to a grown cat and the different relationships with the characters in this book, one in particular, Drusilla, who is a mouse. I enjoyed how each chapter was short and jam packed with adventure. I found the story very humourous, not sure my students (year 3 & 4) would pick up on all of the humour in this book but I think they would enjoy the adventure and the fact that Martin is not your ordinary cat.

[Katya Starling · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable, utterly sweet, and uplifting book with very cute illustrations! Although I'm not at all certain it should be in the kids' section considering how desperately Drusilla wants Cuthbert and how she persuades Martin to go after him. I also really enjoyed the refreshing relationship between Martin and his previously estranged father. I'll be looking forward to reading more from this author (who also wrote the famous pig book Babe)!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet book. Martin is a cat who doesn't like to eat mice. He ends up capturing one and keeping her, and her subsequent babies, as pets. The book explores the feelings of being kept in captivity and Martin's acceptance of himself as being a bit different.

Martin's naivety is endearing and sometimes humorous. There's also action, adventure and a wonderful father/son bond.

[Megan Chrisler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is adorable. If you liked Babe: The Gallant Pig (in other words, if you enjoy cute, warm-hearted animals who defy the expectations of their species) then you'll love this. It's actually quite mature for a children's book; it goes into the ethics of keeping pets, and even gets close to discussing sex.

[Judson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkably good book. It's definitely for a younger audience--maybe ages 10-12. Nevertheless, it entertained me very much. There were a couple moments that it actually made me audibly laugh. It's a simple, heartwarming story that teaches an interesting lesson. I liked all the cat puns.

[Steph Hayward-bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed sharing this with my son. He is obsessed with cats and loved a cat that kept mice as pets. He enjoyed reading bits to me himself as he is only 6. A great book to cuddle up and share at bedtime

[Sara Snarr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book about talking animals. The charming characters and funny dialogue would make this a good read-aloud book for early elementary students.