The Mouse and The Motorcycle
Critical Reviews

February 17^th, 2005

Chantal Houglan
and
Gary Houglan

Introduction

Turning my attention from the mind-numbing topic of mandatory helmet laws, I thought it was time to get back to the pleasure of all things motorcycle. One of my ongoing pleasures has been to read many of the same books that my kids read. Trying to combine this pleasure with my motorcycle interests, I ran across the book, The Mouse and The Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary. I thought it would be interesting to read it to get another perspective of motorcycles. I than thought it would more interesting to read it with my daughter, Chantal, and to ask her opinion of the book. So let's meet Ralph the Mouse.

Gary's Review

This story starts with a family stopping at a motel during a long vacation trip. We meet Keith as the family checks into the motel room and he starts to play with his toy ambulance and motorcycle. While the family is out for dinner, the leading man (mouse) appears. This is Ralph. Intrigued by the motorcycle, Ralph climbs onto the nightstand and tries it on for size. As with many first time Bikers, Ralph has an accident. He runs off the edge of the nightstand. He and the motorcycle end up in a trash can.

Keith returns from dinner and rescues Ralph. They become friends and Keith allows Ralph to ride the motorcycle. Keith makes Ralph promise not to ride the motorcycle unless he is in the room. Unfortunately Ralph doesn't keep his promise and has another accident. He rides the bike into a bundle of laundry and is unable to free himself and the motorcycle. He chooses to leave the bike and free himself. Keith is very disappointed that he lost the motorcycle, but he and Ralph remain friends.

Later Keith becomes sick and needs an aspirin, but neither his parent nor the motel clerk have any aspirins and the drug store is closed. Ralph is determined to help his friend and goes in search of an aspirin. He not only ventures beyond Room 215, but he ends up going down stairs and outside. He faces many dangers in hopes of helping his friend. After a night of misadventures, Ralph returns to Room 215 and leaves the aspirin where Keith's parents can see it. They give the aspirin to Keith, who soon starts to feel better.

Shortly after the aspirin hunt, one of the motel clerks finds the motorcycle and returns it to Keith. Keith makes the decision to leave the motorcycle with Ralph when his family continues on their trip.

Even Ralph wears a helmet....

My favorite parts of the book were when the author captures the sense of being a Biker. She writes, "To the mouse the sound spoke of highways and speed, of distance and danger, and whiskers blown back by the wind." On the examining the motorcycle, the mouse's reaction was, "Ralph stared at it and then walked over and kicked a tire. Close up the motorcycle looked even better than he expected. It was new and shiny and had a good set of tires. Ralph walked all the way around it, examining the pair of chromium mufflers and the engine and the hand clutch." The author describes Ralph's reaction to his first ride outside of Room 215, "It did not take Ralph long to decide what to do. He picked up his tail, took a deep breath, bent low over the handlebars, flattened his ears, and sped down the straightaway as fast as the motorcycle would go. He could feel his whiskers swept back by the force of his speed. It was glorious!" It felt like I was reading an autobiography.

I recommend The Mouse and The Motorcycle for anyone who wants to share a good read with his or her elementary school kid (especially if you and they like motorcycles). As a side note, the book was written in 1965. Do you remember the bikes from that era?

Goofy steals Mickey's motorcycle...

Chantal's Review

Hi, my name is Chantal Houglan and I'm Gary Houglan's daughter. I'm 11 and I'm in the 5th Grade. I read the book The Mouse and The Motorcycle. It was a very fun book. It was about this mouse named Ralph. He lives in an old hotel. He has many adventures with a motorcycle and with Keith a young boy who is staying in Room 215.

I think the moral of the story is that if you show responsibility people trust you and good things happen. Like when Ralph goes to get an aspirin, it shows Keith that Ralph is responsible enough to ride the motorcycle again.

I think the lesson for motorcycle riders is that you need to wait till you have learned completely before riding, and also to be very careful. This book had many parts that reminded me of when I go on my father's motorcycle. Like when the mouse first sees it, he likes it. It was the same with my dad's motorcycle. Also, when the mouse had a very long trip it reminded me of when I rode with my father to North Carolina.

I believe this book was written for 4th and 5th Graders, ages 10-11, or motorcycle riders. This book was really good. I would recommend it to anyone. I give it 5 stars. It's a great book about friendship.

Even Mighty Mouse rides

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