Umbrella Mouse, The

Description: A timeless tale of courage, resistance and friendship, The Umbrella Mouse is a heart-stopping adventure drawing on the true stories of animals caught in the conflict of WWII. 1944, and London is under attack. Young mouse Pip Hanway's safe and quiet world is turned upside down when her home, umbrella shop James Smith & Sons, is destroyed by a bomb. Orphaned and alone, she must begin a perilous quest to find a new home. But the only way to get there is by joining Noah's Ark, a secret gang of animals fighting with the resistance in France, operating beneath the feet of the human soldiers. Danger is everywhere and as the enemy closes in, Pip must risk everything to save her new friends. Beautifully illustrated by Sam Usher, Anna Fargher's debut novel takes you on an incredible journey through a war that reaches even the smallest of creatures. 'An ambitious and wonderfully well-achieved first novel' Michael Morpurgo 'A spellbinding tale of bravery and hope, where courage is found in the smallest of heroes' Gill Lewis, author of Sky Hawk

Review: The wartime background is vivid and completely convincing and Pip and her animal comrades are beguiling characters. Original adventure from an exciting new author * Lovereading4kids * A beautifully imagined wartime adventure with the bravest of heroines -- Claire Fayers, author of The Accidental Pirates Brims with courage, friendship and adventure * Bookseller * Move over War Horse . . . [an] enchanting first novel . . . beautifully written * Telegraph * A spellbinding tale of bravery and hope, where courage is found in the smallest of heroes -- Gill Lewis, author of Sky Hawk An ambitious and wonderfully well-achieved first novel * Michael Morpurgo *





Author Biography: Anna Fargher was raised in a creative hub on the Suffolk coast by an artist and a ballet teacher. She read English Literature at Goldsmiths before working in the British art world and opening her own gallery. The Umbrella Mouse is her first book, which she wrote on her iPhone notepad during her daily commute on the London Underground. She splits her time between London and Suffolk where she is often found exploring the coastline and marshlands under the huge East Anglian skies. Sam Usher graduated from the University of West England and his debut picture book Can You See Sassoon?was shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize and the Red House Children's Book Award. He is particularly admired for his technical drawing skill and prowess with watercolour. Also a talented pianist, when he's not holding a pen and wobbling at paper you'll find him perfecting a fiendishly difficult piece of Chopin.