A Mighty Mouse’s Flight
A Review of Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse
By Torben Kuhlmann
Published by NorthSouth Books Inc.
New York 2014
46 Pages; paperback
Price: TBA
By Annamarie Buonocore
For anyone who has ever dreamed of flying, and certainly everyone has at one point or another, Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse, will be one of the most inspirational children’s stories of all time. The short story is truly one of overcoming obstacles and the limiting ideas that small size can stand in the way of a big accomplishment. With beautiful and intriguing illustrations created by author-illustrator Torben Kuhlman, the children’s storybook is one that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
One day, a curious mouse in Germany finds that mousetraps have annihilated the mouse population in his home country. He no longer has friends in Germany and decides to migrate to America, the land of opportunity. After first electing to travel by ship, he encounters many obstacles, including more mousetraps, owls, cats, large human travelers, and large pieces of equipment. Despite these enormous challenges, he remains persistent and thinks of innovative and creative ways to achieve his dream of immigrating to America, the land of opportunity. He creates several airplane models using different pieces of equipment. The first two models crash because there are problems with the propellers, and the second one is too heavy. He keeps crashing, but he finally overcomes his failures and creates the perfect airplane that will successfully fly him over the Atlantic Ocean to the land of liberty. The heartwarming adventure of the tiny creature is symbolic and inspirational. With a happy ending of the little mouse finally reaching New York and seeing the Statue of Liberty, readers will be moved and motivated to think outside the box and achieve their goals, no matter how big.
The small mouse character is one that young readers can relate to because of his small size and amazing ingenuity, despite having the odds against him. But this character is also symbolic of the many European immigrants who overcame considerable and formidable odds to make the long and difficult journey to America. The story is historical and will educate readers about the valuable history of European immigrants, namely those from Germany, coming to America and what they meant when calling it “the land of opportunity.”
The small anthropomorphic character also speaks of many inventors throughout American history, especially those in aviation, who worked diligently to improve human progress through technology and transportation. Young readers will learn about these progressive Americans through the small mouse character, but the storybook also includes small paragraphs on several of these early aviators, including Charles Lindbergh himself and the American Wright brothers, in the back of the book. The book is a great tribute to German culture and its contribution to American progress. The mouse character also reminds children that they too are powerful, despite being small and under the control of adults. A quality of any good children’s story is to be able to make a statement about serious adult issues in ways that are simple and easy to understand for children and enlightening for adults who could possibly be over thinking the matter.
The story has a powerful and grasping ending. When the mouse reaches America, the story spreads like wildfire. It is in all of the newspapers, and a movie about the mouse’s journey travels to theaters throughout the country. “Legend has it that a little boy often stood in front of the posters with butterflies in his stomach. He went to every show he could… His name was Charles Lindbergh.” The story is essentially a spinoff of Lindbergh’s story, but the use of a mouse drives home the point that size should never stop anybody from dreaming and achieving big. The ending is perhaps the most powerful part of the book, but the journey is also captivating. Readers will not want to place the book down. Of course its length allows it to be read in one sitting.
The educational and colorful storybook will educate the hearts and minds of children, giving them courage to live their dreams, just like the heroic little mouse. The author’s strong voice and clarity in telling the story will make the book an enjoyable read for all readers. His brilliant illustrations speak of his achievements as an artist and will make the book all the more exciting. The story and its illustrations speak to the spirit of aviation in American and European history. It is highly recommended to aviation enthusiasts, history buffs, and even animal lovers that love a good story about a small furry creature achieving greatness. The storybook is certainly one that will enjoy great shelf life and be a great tale for generations to come. The powerful little book will leave a vibrant impact on all readers and will keep the spirited histories of aviation and coming to America alive. It is a story of patriotism that will instill a sense of pride for American history and aviation. Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse is a must read.
Annamarie is an associate editor for In Flight USA and manages the book review column. We welcome book review suggestions. Please contact Annamarie Buonocore at 650/358-9908 or buonocore.annamarie123@gmail.com. We look forward to sharing more great book reviews.
