This is perhaps too elusive an idea to put in a book for children, but I put it in anyway.' The book is a quest story, the tale of a lone hero who leaves his family to embark on a difficult personal journey. White said it is about 'the continuing journey that everybody takes-in search of what is perfect and unattainable. Many do think Stuart Little is best understood by older readers. Meanwhile, newspapers reviewed the book almost as though it were a work of fiction for adults. White made suggestions and comments, in one letter expressing delight that Williams had drawn shoes that are 'just right for a mouse's feet.' White himself found a model for Harriet Ames (a character who does not appear in the movie) in a clipping from a Sears catalogue.ĪT THE TIME it was published some critics expressed concern that Stuart Little was 'bad for children'-the story too open-ended, the main character too independent. White and Williams discussed every detail of the illustrations. White's editor complained that 'it is terribly difficult to draw ATTRACTIVE mice' and went through no less than eight illustrators before signing up Williams, a prize-winning sculptor. It was also the first book illustrated by renowned artist Garth Williams. Some twenty years later he expanded and collected the stories as Stuart Little, published in 1945. White wrote a few episodes about this boy who looked like a mouse and then tucked them away in a drawer, thinking he might one day share them with his nieces and nephews. THE CHARACTER of Stuart Little first appeared in a dream to famed essayist E. White called the 'shy, pleasant manner of a mouse.' Fox, who provides the character's screen voice, than the little hero who had what creator E. Some think the cinematic Stuart was modeled more after Michael J. Whether you curl up with your young reader to share these books or hand them off for independent reading, you are helping to create what are likely to be all-time favorite reading memories.AFTER MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY as a quietly beloved literary figure, Stuart Little has become a cash cow of a mouse-the grinning, computer-generated star of a $90 million movie and the subject of seven new books, as well as a line of products that includes plush toys, games, and a mouse-shaped backpack. White favorites Charlotte's Web and The Trumpet of the Swan as classic illustrated novels that continue to speak to today's readers. Determined to track her down, Stuart ventures away from home for the very first time in his life. Stuart's greatest adventure comes when his best friend, a beautiful little bird named Margalo, disappears from her nest. Though he's shy and thoughtful, he's also a true lover of adventure. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat.

White, author of the Newbery Honor Book Charlotte's Web and The Trumpet of the Swan, about one small mouse on a very big adventure.

Stuart little garth williams