Basil and the Lost Colony

Basil of Baker Street #2

by Eve Titus

Named one of “13 Detective Book Series You Obsessed Over as a Kid” by Buzzfeed.com and the inspiration for a hit Disney film, the masterful Great Mouse Detective is back and scurrying off to solve the mystery of a Lost Colony in Switzerland.

Basil of Baker Street—mouse detective genius—is off on a perilous expedition leading thirty-two mice up a towering mountain. Their objective: to locate and rescue a famous colony of mice that have been missing for six centuries! A clue in the form of an arrow with strange markings has sent Basil scurrying off to Switzerland in search of the lost colony.

But the path is not smooth for our Sherlock Holmes of the Mouse World. Before he can solve this baffling mystery, he must confront the mysterious snow mouse and the sinister plots of evil Professor Ratigan, ruler of the mouse underworld!

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Classics

Hardcover

First published June 1, 1964

About the author

Eve Titus was the author of numerous bestselling and beloved children's books.

Her most famous characters include Anatole, a French mouse and Basil of Baker Street, a mouse who works as a private eye. Her book, Anatole, won the 1957 Caldecott Honor Book award.

She died in 2002 in Orlando, Florida.

Reviews

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new adventure of Basil of Baker Street and dr Dawson. In this story, they are looking for a lost colony.

[Lady Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Much like Basil of Baker Street, this carries the same tone and charm of a true "Great Mouse Detective"!

Basil is faced this time with a true challenge indeed, to find a lost colony of mice in the Swiss Alps, such as has been lost for a long time! At first, Basil is reluctant to undertake this expedition, as he's divided in his attentions to confront Professor Ratigan, his arch nemesis--and who makes an appearance in this book, finally!

However, when it appears that Ratigan is involved in nefarious dealing that will bring him and Basil in the same place in the alps, Basil agrees to undertake the mystery, and so our story proceeds!

Once, again, the narrator of the audiobook I listened to (Ralph Lister) did a great job of bringing the characters to life, especially Basil and Dawson in particular. His voice for Ratigan was also well done (reminded me of Moriarty from the show Sherlock, ironically enough), but of course no one can match Vincent Price in terms of sounding villainous.

The plot was engaging from start to finish, to be sure, and definitely with enough twists and turns to keep kids engaged!

In fact, if I had to identify just one thing for why I took .4 off the overall rating, I'd say that it's that, given that there's a final wrestling match at Rachenbach Falls (i.e. Holmes reference much?), I was really hoping for more around Ratigan's place in the plot. Instead though, it feels like just the villain's introduction, and really setting him up to do more in future books, for which it's fine as a preliminary, though it does leave me wondering how the author tops herself in the next book(s).

Anyway, charming all throughout, and a pleasure to listen to during my commutes!

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Oh, I do enjoy these books. They are such a clever parody of Sherlock Holmes, in a calm, piquant, matter-of-fact way. They are definitely children’s books, but still I think they’re enjoyable for all ages. The mystery + adventure was well intertwined and every time you thought everything was over, it started again. There are some weak moments, like the Ratigan escape, but Basil is such a fun, fun, fun character and makes up for a lot :)

Content: A mention of “cave mice” and a girl mice that disguises herself as a boy and sneaks off with a male mountain climbing group.

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Here, Dawson—read it. It’s as easy as ABC!’
“‘Seems more like XYZ,’ I confessed. ‘You’ll think me dense, but I am still in the dark.’
“‘Why, it’s elementary! This is commonly called a transposition code. Writing itself is about six thousand years old. This position code dates back to 500 B.C., when it was use by generals in the Spartan army.”
“‘Spartan to you, but Greek to me.’”

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basil and his trusty friend, Dawson, are hot on the trail of the evil Professor Ratigan. When Basil is invited to investigate a clue that might lead to the famous Lost Colony, Ratigan infiltrates into the very heart of Baker Street and steals the clue! Now it's a race to the top of a treacherous mountain in the Alps. Who will be the first to claim worldwide fame for the discovery of the Lost Colony of mice who disappeared more than four hundred years ago?

Basil is the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world. He listens in on the cases of the great Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street, to learn at the feet of the master. Then Basil can use that knowledge to solve mysteries among the mice of the world.

I love this story so much! I have always been a fan of the Great Mouse Detective cartoon, so I was delighted to discover that the movie was based on a book series. The writing is charming, the story is exciting, and the mystery is full of wild clues that only Basil can figure out. I also loved the adorable illustrations that bring the characters to life.

This chapter book would be perfect for young readers ages 6-10 who are starting to read on their own, but it is also enjoyable for older children to read. I loved reading it even as an adult!

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Eve Titus's characters, and when you combine her stories with Paul Galdone's illustrations - you get excellent entertainment!

Sherlock Holmes has a protege - a mouse, Basil of Baker Street. Like his human counterpart, he solves all kinds of daring mysteries that your family will enjoy. Clean, fun and makes a great read-aloud!

Ages: 5 - 12
Reading Level: 2nd/3rd grades

Cleanliness: “by Jove” “gracious” “heaven knows” “goodness” and the like are used a handful of times. A couple of references to primitive or “cavemice”. Basil smokes a pipe. One sentence about a mouse thinking there are evil spirits. Nature or Mother Nature are used a couple of times.

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So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read this book aloud to my mom while commuting to various places together, and because this was the first book I have ever read aloud to someone I did not pay much attention to the meaning of the words. So my judge of this book is mainly based on my mother's seeming enjoyment of it.

[Sam Riner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer the mystery Sherlock books over the adventure ones and that's how I feel about this one, too.

[giso0 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The effort put into this book is unmistakable. The author drew from her musical background, and named the characters after prominent Sherlockians, as well as Doyle's son.
The notorious Professor Ratigan made his debut here. And I still like her mouse-words. But one can not just overlook Basil's sexist remarks.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, in the mood for something way off than what I have been reading. Trying to open up the possibilities of what's out there. I don't even have kids that would be fun to listen to or read together. Basil's adventures continue as he leads an expedition to the Swiss Alps to discover the lost colony of the Tellmice and solve the mystery of their disappearance, as well as that of the elusive Adorable Snowmouse, all with the nefarious Ratigan hot on his trail.

It was an odd mix because there was a lot of traveling and plenty of scope, but the storytelling didn't quite seem to support it. It was like reading a travelogue, with a villain with a LOT of potential thrown in. I'm sure Ratigan will play more into the plots of future books, but it would have been nice for there to have been a little more conflict in this. The illustrations were charming (though I think the mice lacked a little by way of expression and distinction from each other, rather, I guess, like mice). It was still a bit dated but it was a quick and painless read.

i hear there are 13 books in this series. May try reading some others. Basil of Baker Street returns in this second installment of his adventures, this time facing off (albeit briefly) against his arch-nemesis Ratigan. This one seemed to have an even flimsier plot and an even more convenient resolution, but it was a very quick read and the characters are still funny and an enjoyment to read/listen.

[Yukiraking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely book 2. The publication order failed me. But, the characters made a lot more sense. There still wasn't time to really get to know any of them, but their introductions were in this book, and not what I suppose is actually book 3 (which I read second, because of the re-publication order!).

This one reminded me so much of the movie version of Journey to the Centre of the Earth in it's tone and genre that it was almost overwhelming (but it wasn't the book, just the one version of the movie), and I love that each of the books has a different feel to it. Originally I was disappointed that they weren't all leaning towards more of a Sherlock Holmes feel, but I appreciate now that they were all different. It made it easier to marathon the series, because each one presented something new. I also really liked all the word play, where the author made a play on words from Sherlock Holmes stories.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is intended for grade-schoolers, but adults who are familiar with the Holmes tales will appreciate them, too. The stories contain aspects of the originals, in this case, a falls, as well as puns referring to Doyle’s series. Well written and superbly narrated by Ralph Lister, this mystery series is quite entertaining.

[Corrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was pretty hilarious, to be honest. It was definitely not a read to challenge the mind, but it’s fun in a way that reminds me of the Adam West Batman show. The jokes are just absurd enough and bizarrely places that it’s funny instead of cringey... okay it’s a little bit cringey too, but in a fun way!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I'd known about these books sooner. I had no idea until a recent re-watch that The Great Mouse Detective film was based on this lovely series of children's books that channel Sherlock and Watson in their mouse form.

[Tegan]

This was cute, I like the continuing story. There was a lot going on this one, compared to the first one.

[Priscilla]

Enjoyable audiobooks for long car rides

[Megan Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, though I am always a sucker for Basil, and mice in general.

I was thinking of writing Eve Titus a letter, only to discover she died 22 years ago. :(

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basil and Co. go off in search of a lost Mouse Colony in the Swiss Alps while pursued by his arch nemesis, professor Ratigan. I wouldn't call it a mystery - it's really more of an adventure. I read this out loud to my 8-year-old son who really enjoyed it. The story is simple, but the writing is more advanced the most middle grade literature and includes some sophisticated (sometimes archaic) vocabulary. The writing style is quite academic.

I recommend this for kids with advanced vocabulary and reading skills. Reluctant and more timid readers will likely struggle with the text when reading solo. Published in 1964, this book includes (but is not based on) the message that women aren't suited to adventuring and offers the opportunity to discuss how this outdated concept has changed since the book was written.

My favorite part was the illustrations!

[Gabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the movie, its one of my favorites but i didnt know it has a book series, so when i found it on a shelve at the library i knew i had to read it and i was not disppointed! The puns were great and the story was very enthralling i definitely would like to meet an adorable snowmouse at some point in my life, and i cant wait to read more about the battle between the professor and basil.

[Megan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aw, it's cute. Good kid story, on the whole. Not a fan of the whole "primitive cave mice" and "I believe one day we will have thumbs" vague evolutionary bent it had? Not super necessary.
But, The Kindhearted League, and the fact that he's a MOUSE SHERLOCK.
Also there's a waterfall called Bachenreich Falls. So there's that.
Not a new favorite. Lots of kid books go on top of it in the realm of kid books that I love - but it was fun and cute.

[Rosemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a lot of fun. It was more adventure story than mystery this time, but it was fun to see the introduction of Ratigan. Also, I think the "Lost Colony" may have been a nod to Arthur Conon Doyle's other book The Lost World.

I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator did a great job.

[Katie Ballinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know, I got the random urge to watch the movie this morning and realized that I never read any of the books, so I grabbed this one in the library. It’s very cute. Honestly, a little short and too fast paced, but I can’t fault a kid’s book for that. May be fun to read to my kids one day.

[Kelli Bonin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kind of like reading a summary of a book instead of reading a real book. My boys and I would read a few paragraphs and then be left completely confused as to what exactly just happened what why they skipped over all the good parts! Oh, well.

[Selah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bachenreich Falls, lol. Cute Sherlockian mystery for kids.

[Betty Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both the book and the illustrations are beyond adorable.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great mouse mystery, but this time it’s a race to the truth against Professor Ratagain on the slopes of Mount Everest (or the mouse equivalent)!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felt like should have been book 2 as reference to previous adventure, but it was a good call back as it read.

I'm going to miss the dedications!

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and silly little kids story with many nods to Sherlock Holmes. Though there's nothing wrong with these, I probably won't read any more. They're just not interesting me enough.

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun adventure story! Many clever lines and enjoyable plays on the Sherlock Holmes theme.


Note: some evolutionary mentions and references to cave mice, primitive peoples.

[Solim · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are fun, to the point and fast paced. I dont know if there was a mystery in this one. More so a discovery!

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in these books are fantastic.