BABYMOUSE: QUEEN OF THE WORLD! by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

Bibliographic Data

Holm, Jennifer L. and Holm, Matthew.  2005.  BABYMOUSE:  QUEEN OF THE WORLD.  New York:  Random House.  ISBN:  9780375832291

Plot

Creative and imaginative Babymouse dreams of being “Queen of the World.”  Life, however, has other plans.  From stuck lockers to being snubbed by the popular girls, Babymouse faces many challenges in her daily routine.  A chance to attend a sleepover of the most popular girl in school seems like the perfect solution to all of her problems, but she will soon realize that the opportunity comes with a cost!

Critical Analysis

Babymouse is a character that children will easily identify with and root for, as she struggles through the life’s little challenges:  hard-to-comb whiskers, stuck lockers, overdue library books, an overactive imagination, and trying to fit in.  While she longs to be best friends with the insanely popular Felicia Furrypaws, she is regularly belittled and ignored by Felicia and her friends.  A poor decision and potential consequences help her to learn what true and meaningful friendship really is.

This story will appeal to emergent readers who want to dive into the graphic novel genre, as the text is simple yet engaging, and the plot is highly relatable.  Illustrations are basic black and white line drawings, with pops of pink which draw attention to important objects and actions.  Engaging short stories play out in Babymouse’s imagination and these are interspersed throughout the text at critical points in the plotline.  

Most importantly, Babymouse learns an important lesson about actions and consequences, and readers will take pride in the way she resolves her problem.

Review Excerpts

"Cute, smart, sassy Babymouse is fun and funny, and this book, like its predecessors, will draw reluctant readers as well as Babymouse fans." - Booklist

"An almost absurdly likeable heroine." - The Bulletin

"Move over, Superman, here comes Babymouse!" - The Chicago Sun-Times

"Nobody puts Babymouse in the corner!" - The Horn Book

"Emergent readers will cheer 'Babymouse!'" - Kirkus Reviews

Connections

• Read other books in the BABYMOUSE series.
• Read other graphic novels for emergent readers, such as CLUES IN THE ATTIC by Cari Meister and Remy Simard or THE CAT THAT DISAPPEARED by Lily Mortenson
• Use as a mentor text for creative writing, where students can plan out their plot in graphic novel form.

Awards and Honors

• ALSC Notable Children’s Book (2006)