Anatole (mouse) facts for kids

Anatole is a famous mouse character from a series of children's picture books. These books were written by Eve Titus and drawn by Paul Galdone. The whole series is also called 'Anatole'. Ten books were published between 1956 and 1979. Two books, Anatole (1957) and Anatole and the Cat (1958), even won a special award called the Caldecott Honor.

The Story of Anatole

Anatole is a clever mouse who lives in a small mouse village. This village is just outside the big city of Paris, France. One day, while riding his bicycle to find food, he heard some humans talking. They were complaining about mice, calling them villains.

Anatole felt very sad and insulted by this. He decided he needed to do something good to change how humans saw mice. So, he got a job at a French cheese factory. He worked as a taster and evaluator of the cheese.

Anatole worked alone and secretly late at night. He would leave notes for the cheesemakers, giving them advice. His amazing taste helped the factory make delicious cheese. This made the factory very successful. Anatole became famous among other mice as a "mouse magnifique," which means a magnificent mouse.

The human owners and workers at the factory also loved his work. They thought he was a mysterious cheese expert who liked to work alone. They had no idea that their amazing helper was actually a mouse! The stories always show how important it is to work hard and with pride. Anatole lives with his family, including his wife Doucette and their six children.

Anatole on Television

The Anatole stories were also made into an animated television series. This show was created by Canada's Nelvana studios and France's Alphanim. The series had 26 episodes. It first aired in America on the CBS network in 1998. Later, it was shown again on the Disney Channel from 2001 to 2004. Before this, in 1966, a short animated part based on the books appeared in the movie Alice of Wonderland in Paris.

Anatole on Stage

In 2014, two of the books, "Anatole" and "Anatole and the Cat," were combined. They were turned into a successful musical show. John Maclay and Lee Becker wrote the story and songs. James Valcq created the music. The First Stage Children's Theater first performed the show in February 2014. It was very popular and received great reviews.

Anatole Book Series

• Anatole (1956)
• Anatole and the Cat (1957)
• Anatole and the Robot (1960)
• Anatole over Paris (1961)
• Anatole and the Poodle (1965)
• Anatole and the Piano (1966)
• Anatole and the Thirty Thieves (1969)
• Anatole and the Toyshop (1970)
• Anatole in Italy (1973)
• Anatole and the Pied Piper (1979)