Stuart Little

Stuart Little by E.B. White, 131 pages

Stuart is the second son of the Little family of New York City. They're human, he has a rather mouse-like appearance, down to his three-inch height and long tail. While they're a bit surprised by this development, they seem to accept him as-is, and do everything they can to create a good life for him. This rather short book takes Stuart on adventures down the bathtub drain (to retrieve a lost ring), on a garbage barge, and in a terrifying sailboat race in Central Park.

It's been a long while since I read this book, and while I remember loving it as a kid, today I'm a bit perplexed. Yes, the unconditional love Mr. and Mrs. Little show their son is great, and a great thing for kids to read, and yes, those adventures are fantastic. But the fact that all the animals talk, and the fact that a small dapper-dressed mouse with human parents seems to be completely normal to all the people of New York City and beyond, not to mention the fact that, as much as they love him and worry about him, the Littles don't seem to notice or care when Stuart takes off on a road trip at the ripe old age of seven... well, those make this book a little hard for adult me to swallow. I plan on reading this one to my son someday in the not-too-distant future, so perhaps sharing it with a little kid might help bring some of the magic back. Because sadly, I seem to have lost it.

Good for kids, not so much for adults.