| The Mouse and His Child | |
| Author: | Russell Hoban |
| Illustrator: | Lillian Hoban |
| Country: | USA |
| Language: | English |
| Pages: | 181 |
| Oclc: | 307157 |
| Congress: | 67019624 |
The Mouse and His Child is a novel by Russell Hoban first published in 1967. It has been described as "a classic of children's literature and is the book for which Hoban is best known."[1] It was adapted into an animated film in 1977. A new edition with new illustrations by David Small was released in 2001.
The mouse and child of the title are a pair of toy mice, joined by the hands and operated by clockwork. The story tells of their beginning in a toy store, their purchase and eventual discarding, their pursuit by a malicious rat, and their quest to become self-winding.
Like E. B. White's Charlotte's Web, the book contrasts with much of children's literature by its occasional advanced vocabulary and willingness to include adult themes.