Review #25: Babymouse: The Musical

Dad:  Alright, we have in front of us...
Gracie (age 8):  Babymouse!  The Musical!
Dad:  Who likes the "Babymouse" series?
Gracie:  MEEE!  Gracie does, Gracie does, Gracie does, Gracie does!
Lily (age 6):  Lily, Lily, Lily does!
Dad:  What about Isaac?
Isaac (age 10):  I said "me."  You just couldn't hear me over them.
Dad:  So it's okay with you that Babymouse is a girl.  And that the books are pink?
Isaac:  I don't care about that.
Dad:  You're still cool?  You're still macho?
Gracie:  There IS one that is not pink.  It's a Halloween "Babymouse."  "Babymouse, Monstermash."  It's ORANGE!  If you want to get a boy started on the series, read Monstermash to him first.  Get him started on the orange one and then move to pink.  Next read "Babymouse, Puppy Love" because that's hilarious.
Dad:  That's my favorite one.
Lily:  It's funny.
Gracie:  All the little guys - every single pet she tries to get - they are all hiding under the bed.
Dad:  Babymouse is not very good at things usually, right?  Taking care of pets...  playing instruments...  playing dodgeball...
Gracie:  Babymouse always makes mistakes.  Even in her own imagination she messes up.  But she IS good at eating cupcakes.  Those are her favorite-est things.
Isaac:  Her imagination always takes over the story.  But her locker isn't her imagination.  It is evil.
Gracie:  Hahaha!  It is the evilest locker ever!  It always eats her homework, or explodes her things.
Isaac:  It breathed fire once.  Why doesn't she just ask for a new locker?
Dad:  Gracie, out of all our 3000 kids' books, you said the "Babymouse" ones are your very favorite.  Why do you like these better than any other books in our house?
Gracie:  Because she's hilarious.  And she's pink.  And she's cute.  And her books are really, really good.  And there are so many in the series, I don't have to keep reading the same one over and over again.
Lily:  In the books, Babymouse is the star of the show.  Because the books are called "Babymouse."
Dad:  Do you think Babymouse knows there are books about her?
Gracie:  She probably reads them.  Actually, she's probably the one who makes them.  These are probably true tales about Babymouse.
Isaac:  Maybe it's her diary.
Dad:  So who are Jennifer and Matthew Holm then?
Isaac:  They write down the diary for Babymouse.  And draw the pictures.
Gracie:  Babymouse tells them what she wants to say.
Dad:  Alright, lets get to "Babymouse, the Musical."
Lily:  Well, there was a new boy that Babymouse fell in love with.  Henry.  A hedgehog.
Gracie:  All the girls are in love with him.  Even Felicia Furrypaws.  Felicia Furrypaws is the meaniest meany bully, and she's the most popular kid in the school.  AND she's Babymouse's worst enemy besides her locker.
Isaac:  Next, What's-his-name, William the Hedgehog...
Dad:  Henry.
Isaac: ...Henry the Hedgehog asks Babymouse if she wants to try out for the school play.  But Felicia Furrypaws gets the main part.  Then Babymouse was Felicia's... what's-it-called, under...  under...  undercover?
Dad:  Study.
Isaac:  Understudy!  Babymouse was Felicia's understudy.  They do practices and things.  Babymouse starts imagining that she is in the movie "Annie."
Gracie:  Copy, copy, copy.  This book copies Annie, Lion King, American Idol...
Dad:  It's not copying.  Did you know there's a word for "copying" when you do it for a joke?  That's called "parody."  Did you ever hear the word "parody"?
Gracie:  There was also part from Phantom of the Opera!  One of my favorite shows!  Babymouse has a whole kingdom in her locker.
Dad:  And now we know what the locker monster looks like!
Gracie:  Copy!
Dad:  Not "copy."
Gracie:  Para-something.  Para...  Parachute.
Dad:  Parachute?
Gracie:  Periscope.
Dad:  Parody.  Okay, back to the story...
Lily:  Felecia Furrypaws was supposed to be the star of the musical.
Gracie:  And Babymouse had to be the underwear --  I mean, understudy!
Dad:  I think you said that on purpose...
Gracie:  Yes!  Hah ha ha ha...
Dad:  Ha ha ha!  I know YOU!!  I know you said "underwear" on purpose!
Gracie:   Ha hhha ha ha!  I did...
Isaac:  Is this picture supposed to be like Highschool Musical?  All the characters are jumping in the exact same pose as the poster.
Gracie:  Copy!
Dad:  Not "copy."  What's that called?
Gracie:  I can't remember!
Dad:  Para...
Gracie:  Parachute!
Dad:  You did that one before.
Gracie:  I did?
Dad:  Mm-hmm.
Gracie:  (Pause)  Pair of underwear!
(Laughter by one and all)
Dad:  Ohh, so much underwear.  Back to the story...  again...
Isaac:  At the musical Felicia Furrypaws gets a hairball stuck in her throat.
Lily:  So Babymouse becomes the star, but she breaks her leg.
Dad:  They had hinted at the hairball earlier in the story.  Do you remember what that's called?
Gracie:  Fore...  Fore...
Dad:  Four pairs of underwear!  Hah - we can both play this game.
Isaac:  Foreshadowing.
Gracie:  There was so much foreshadowing, it was five-shadowing.
Dad:  This is the 10th book in the series.  How many books do you think there will be in the end?
Isaac:  One hundred and eight.  No - one hundred and twelve.  Yep, one hundred and twelve.
Dad:  I bet the people making the books sure hope so.
Gracie:  They will make them until they die...
Dad:  What should the next one be?  What would you pick?
Gracie:  "Babymouse, the Candystore Owner."
Lily:  "Babymouse, Unicorn Love."
Isaac:  They should do it in Orange again.  Or I know!  Saint Patrick's Day, and it could be green!
Gracie:  "Babymouse Eats a Dead Fish."
Dad:  What the heck?
Gracie:  Ha ha ha ha ha ha haa!
Dad:  Ha ha ha...  you are so weird.
Gracie:  Ha ha ha..
Dad:  You are so weird!!  Ha ha ha...  What does that even mean?
Gracie:  Dead fish and Pirates!
Dad:  Ooo... pirates are better!  Maybe "Captain Babymouse."

Babymouse and Henry singing, by Gracie

Lily's idea for a new title, "Babymouse: Pony Love"

Isaac's idea for a new title, "Babymouse: Mission to Mars"

Author: Jennifer Holm
Illustrator: Matthew Holm
Published, 2009: Random House
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