This tactic is still, dangerously, used by dictators (or wannabe dictators) today. One important stage of fascism occurs when dictators portray less powerful groups of people as vermin, insects or other unwanted creature. The mouse/human dichotomy will put the adult reader in mind of fascism.

His only problem is that he his hated by humans. To be a mouse is to be a villain!Īnatole the mouse is heroic and resourceful. Soon Duvall is making the best cheese in all of Paris! They would like to give Anatole a reward -if only they could find him… MARKETING COPY SHORTCOMING When workers at the Duvall factory find his notes in the morning, they are perplexed -but they realize that this mysterious Anatole has an exceptional palate and take his advice. On each cheese, he leaves a small note -“good,” “not so good,” “needs orange peel” -and signs his name. And so he heads for the tasting room at the Duvall Cheese Factory. When he realizes that humans are upset by mice sampling their leftovers, he is shocked! He must provide for his beloved family -but he is determined to find a way to earn his supper. From Anatole (1956) by Eve Titus, Paul Galdone (1907-1986) STORY STRUCTURE OF ANATOLE PARATEXTĪnatole is a most honorable mouse. This is a cute tweak on mice who generally scurry about all fours, quite uncutely, in my personal experience. What do non Parisians think of Paris? We think, naturally, that Parisians go everywhere by bicycle. The difference is that the mice ride bicycles rather than drive cars, but then, this is a book set in a fictional version of France. We are told in the opening pages that Anatole lives in a parallel mouse world, which is a miniature replica of human world - they have their own miniature houses in their own village. Like many picture books, including some written today, Anatole is set in a utopian parallel 1950s universe, in which all a man needs to be perfectly happy is a supportive wife at home, many children, and a way of earning a living to support them.

However, I’d encourage readers to look more carefully at the ideology hiding behind all that delicious cheese. If you love cheese, it’s likely you’ll love Anatole. The Lion And The Mouse Story With Moral Lesson And Summary

Anatole the mouse books