Review of "The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy, Randall Wright and Barry Moser

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley
Age Recommendation: Middle Grade

Description from Goodreads: Skilley, an alley cat with an embarrassing secret, longs to escape his hard life dodging fishwives brooms and carriage wheels and trade his damp alley for the warmth of the Cheshire Cheese Inn. When he learns that the innkeeper is looking for a new mouser, Skilley comes up with an audacious scheme to install himself in the famous tavern. Once established in the inn, Skilley strikes a bargain with Pip, the intelligent mouse-resident, and his fellow mice. Skilley protects the mice and the mice in turn give to Skilley the delectable Cheshire cheese of the inn. Thus begins a most unlikely alliance and friendship. The cat and mouse design a plan to restore Maldwyn wounded raven and faithful guard in the service of Queen Victoria to his rightful place in The Tower, but first they must contend with a tyrannical cook, a mouse-despising barmaid, and an evil tomcat named Pinch. Will the famous author suffering from serious writer s block who visits the Cheshire Cheese pub each day be able to help?


My thoughts: Set in Victorian England this is a fun book portraying the unlikely friendship between a cat and a mouse.

Skilley is a street cat who find out about the mice infestation in a shop that sells cheese and figures out a way to be the cat to take care of the problem. He meets a mouse named Pip and they find a way to cooperate and both of them are able to meet their unique needs. Their biggest dilemma is how to help the raven, Maldwyn find his way back to the tower of London.  In the mean time they have to stay out of the way of the very evil cat named Pinch.

This book is story of friendship, loyalty, and forgiveness. I loved the mouse society.  Many unique mice live in the Inn, of course, where else would they be when there is the worlds best cheese? We can't forget Charles Dickens role in the story as he struggles to overcome writers block while studying these remarkable animals.

I really enjoyed this book and know that middle grade readers will enjoy it as well.