Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse

by Torben Kuhlmann

Overview

One small step for a mouse; one giant leap for aviation.

These are dark times . . . for a small mouse. A new invention—the mechanical mousetrap—has caused all the mice but one to flee to America, the land of the free. But with cats guarding the steamships, trans-Atlantic crossings are no longer safe. In the bleakest of places . . . the one remaining mouse has a brilliant idea. He must learn to fly!

Debut illustrator Torben Kuhlmann’s inventive tale and stunning illustrations will capture the imagination of readers—young and old—with the death-defying feats of this courageous young mouse.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735841673
Publisher:	NorthSouth Books
Publication date:	05/01/2014
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	293,466
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD820L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Torben Kuhlmann was born in Germany. Creative as a child, small airplanes, strange machines and steaming railways made their way into his drawings and later into his acrylic and oil paintings. He studied illustration and design at the University for

Interviews

Torben Kuhlmann was born in Germany. Creative as a child, small airplanes, strange machines and steaming railways made their way into his drawings and later into his acrylic and oil paintings. He studied illustration and design at the University for Applied Sciences in Hamburg. He works as a freelance illustrator. Lindbergh – The Adventurous Tale of a Flying Mouse is his first children's book.

Editorial Reviews

Kuhlmann created Lindbergh while attending university and demonstrates what a masterly illustrator he already is. The eye soars between aerial views and close-ups of old Hamburg in this beautifully rendered and well-thought-out picture book. Kuhlmann's highly detailed, rather somber panoramas intensify the drama, while his animals are as accurate and endearing as Beatrix Potter's. Lindbergh is a splendid debut.

The New York Times Book Review - Michael Patrick Hearn

★ 02/24/2014
In a project that seamlessly blends elements of a picture book, comic, and novel, gifted newcomer Kuhlmann imagines that the world’s first transatlantic flight was made not by Charles Lindbergh, but by an intrepid German mouse flying in the opposite direction, starting from Hamburg. Driven to desperation by the deaths of many of his compatriots in newly invented mousetraps, the mouse decides to head for America: “A huge statue greeted all who arrive there, whether human or mouse.” Squads of guardian cats rule out ship journeys, and the mouse begins experimenting with flying machines. Kuhlmann makes every detail of the mouse’s endeavor look and sound delightfully plausible, from his da Vinci–like working sketches to his plan to hoist his plane to the top of a tower by attaching it to the gears of the tower’s clock. The fragility of his machine and the owls that watch him like sentinels at every step give the story constant tension: the owls’ golden eyes are painted with eerie menace. It’s all terrific entertainment, and the fame Kuhlmann imagines for the mouse when he finally succeeds (“The Transatlantic Rodent Hero” trumpets a billboard) inspires a future famous aviator—or so Kuhlmann claims. An exceptionally fine debut. Ages 4–up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Perhaps the most visually stunning book of the year..."

Huffington Post Books - Minh Le

"The sheer beauty of this book is likely to overwhelm the senses. Its greatest asset is its ability to enthrall on contact."- Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse #8 Production Blog, SLJ

A Fuse #8 Production blog, SLJ - Elizabeth Bird

Best Picture Books of 2014 honorable mention- The Huffington Post

From the Publisher

Our hero is a studious, inquisitive mouse. When mousetraps are invented, all his friends flee across the ocean to America. But when he tries to board a ship, he finds fierce cats guarding all of them He decides he will fly. He tries building wings and generates steam power. But as he works, owls and cats are watching and waiting. He manages to haul his plane to the church tower and take off, just avoiding the owls. He follows the ships across the ocean and arrives at New York City. News of his feat goes across the country. He stars in an air show. As part of this imagined magical adventure, “legend has it” that a young Charles Lindbergh went to every show. This eighty-eight page, large format picture book is naturalistically illustrated in shades of sepia like old photographs. There are many dramatic double pages with no text at all. The one of the mouse surrounded by baited traps is particularly shocking. The sketches on the end pages are examples of the amazing work of the mouse. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz; Ages 6 up.

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

★ 04/01/2014
Gr 2–6—In this gorgeous sepia-toned adventure, a heroic little German mouse must escape the terrifying and fatal clutches of the mousetraps in his homeland. He decides to make his way to America. The notion of a sea voyage is quickly abandoned when he narrowly escapes the sharp claws of a hungry cat guarding the pier. Soon after, he is inspired by his flying cousins—bats—and decides to invent an apparatus to fly across the sea to the land of freedom. After several failed attempts and a close call with a formidable owl, the mouse succeeds—piloting a tiny aircraft, goggles atop his diminutive head, map in hand. His daring flight becomes famous in his new country and inspires a young boy named Charles Lindbergh. Kuhlmann's stirring illustrations are the true star here—capturing the darkness and danger of the creature's native land as well as the light and breadth of his transatlantic journey. Minute details in the intrepid rodent's facial expressions and body language will immediately draw in readers who gravitate to animal stories, while the careful attention to machinery and architecture will encourage repeated viewings. So strong is the visual narrative that the text is almost superfluous; this book can be enjoyed wordlessly. Back matter that includes a short history of aviation rounds out this rich offering. —Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

School Library Journal