Deservedly a modern classic, this action packed and hilarious picture book brings all kinds of traditional – and not so traditional! – Christmas excitement vividly to life. Like everyone else, the mice are eager to have a big Christmas party but, without money, it is hard to see what they can do.
As ever, Arthur and Humphrey come up with some inventive ideas but nothing, especially raffling off Sampson the Cat, goes exactly according to plan! An exciting encounter with various Father Christmases, irate shoppers in the toy shop and more have unexpected results which leave the mice with a Christmas to remember.
One morning a few days before Christmas, Arthur and Humphrey, the leaders of the church mice, decided to have a Christmas party. But parties cost money, and the mice would have to come up with some special fund-raising ideas.
One morning a few days before Christmas, Arthur and Humphrey, the leaders of the church mice, decided to have a Christmas party. But parties cost money, and the mice would have to come up with some special fund-raising ideas.
‘Drawings so lively you can see the mice squeak’ - The Guardian
Author
About Graham Oakley
Graham Oakley was born on the 27th of August 1929 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, son of Thomas and Flora (Madelay) Oakley. Between 1947-49, Graham Oakley served in the British Army. He attended the Warrington Art school in 1950, and then worked with London repertory companies as a scenic artist 1950-55. From 1955-57 he was a design assistant at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, worked at Crawford's Advertising Agency from 1960-62, and then as a set designer for films and series at BBC-TV 1962-67 (including How Green Was My Valley, Nicholas Nickleby, Treasure Island, and Softly, Softly).
"In my day we didn't have so much location work in costume drama, so it was my job to recreate the era of the dramatisation entirely within the studio. That can be quite a difficult task. We did a lot of Charles Dickens and Walter Scott dramatisations and often came across areas which we were unable to research. Of course audiences are always quick to pick out inaccuracies - I think they just liked to catch us out."
He had started illustrating books in the late 50s, and became a free-lance author and illustrator after his stint at the BBC. The Church Mouse was published in 1972.
Apparently, Graham Oakley originally planned Wortlethorpe to be the setting for a very different series of children's books:
"I was going to open with a high view on top of the town and a series of stories about each building, starting with the church and moving on to the library and the town hall, but the first book, The Church Mouse was so successful that I never got to the library."
These days Graham Oakley lives in Lyme Regis and is mostly retired. His current project is a version of Beauty and the Beast done with Pre-Rafaelite style illustrations.
One morning a few days before Christmas, Arthur and Humphrey, the leaders of the church mice, decided to have a Christmas party. But parties cost money, and the mice would have to come up with some special fund-raising ideas.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Church Mice at Christmas and determined it is suitable for children aged 3-6 years old
The Church Mice at Christmas features in the following genres: Featured Books for 5+ readers, Recommendations, Featured Books for 3+ readers, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Festive Fiction, Animal Stories
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
The Church Mice at Christmas was written by Graham Oakley and published by Templar
