The Church Mice series facts for kids
The Church Mice series is a collection of fun picture books for children. They were written by an English author named Graham Oakley. These books tell the stories of a group of church mice. They live in an old gothic church in a made-up town called Wortlethorpe, England. Their special friend and guardian is a cat named Sampson. People really like these books because of their amazing, detailed drawings and their clever, funny humor. Some of the Church Mice books have even won or been nominated for big awards!
Meet the Characters
In the very first book, The Church Mouse, you meet Arthur. He is a church mouse who lives in the Wortlethorpe church. His best friend is Sampson the cat. Sampson is a very unusual cat! He has promised never to hurt a mouse. This is because he listened to many sermons in the church. He learned about being kind and gentle, and he took those lessons to heart.
Soon, Arthur invites more mice to live in the church. The Parson (the church leader) agrees. The mice promise to help out by doing chores and odd jobs around the church. One of the new mice is Humphrey. He is a school mouse and becomes a good friend to Arthur. But Humphrey can also be a bit of a troublemaker!
Later books in the series share many exciting adventures. Sampson and the church mice travel to different places. They even protect the church from burglars. They also try out many wild ideas to earn money. Throughout all their adventures, the books always focus on the special friendships between Sampson, Arthur, and Humphrey.
The Church Mice on Screen
In 1988, a company called Live Oak Media made a movie version of The Church Mouse. It was a direct-to-video film, meaning it was released straight to video tapes.
All the Church Mice Books
Here is a list of all the books in the Church Mice series:
- The Church Mouse, Atheneum, 1972.
- The Church Cat Abroad, Atheneum, 1973.
- The Church Mice and the Moon, Atheneum, 1974.
- The Church Mice Spread Their Wings, Macmillan, 1975 and Atheneum, 1976.
- The Church Mice Adrift, Macmillan, 1976 and Atheneum, 1977.
- The Church Mice at Bay, Macmillan, 1978 and Atheneum, 1979.
- The Church Mice at Christmas, Atheneum, 1980.
- The Church Mice in Action Macmillan, 1982, Atheneum, 1983.
- The Church Mice Chronicles (This book includes The Church Mouse, The Church Cat Abroad, and The Church Mice and the Moon), Macmillan, 1986.
- The Diary of a Church Mouse, Macmillan, 1986 and Atheneum, 1997.
- The Church Mice and the Ring, Atheneum, 1992.
- Humphrey Hits the Jackpot, Hodder Children's, 1998.
- The Church Mice Take a Break, Hodder Children's, 2000.
