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Cheerful
Cheerful is a mouse who longs to live in the country described in a song his mother sings.
58 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1957
1 person is currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Palmer Brown
8 books15 followersPalmer Brown was born in Chicago and attended Swarthmore and the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author and illustrator of five books for children, including Beyond the Pawpaw Trees and its sequel, The Silver Nutmeg; Cheerful; and Hickory.
About Beyond the Pawpaw Trees, his first published book, Brown said: “If it has any moral at all, it is hoped that it will always be a deep secret between the author and those of his readers who still know that believing is seeing.”
About Beyond the Pawpaw Trees, his first published book, Brown said: “If it has any moral at all, it is hoped that it will always be a deep secret between the author and those of his readers who still know that believing is seeing.”
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 23, 2020
A truly lovely book that transports you back to gentler times. My attention was captured from the moment I read, "His father came from a long line of sober black whiskered church mice, who made themselves useful by gathering rice scattered at weddings, or by picking up crumbs after church-ladies' cake sales and such delicious crumbs too!" What a wonderful diversion from my current reality!
I was curious to discover if the author is British due to the sense of Britishness of the writing and the irony of the choice of the name, "Cheerful" for a mouse whose "drooping whiskers made him look so sad." There is a gentle humor with a twist that calls my name. However, despite my internet searches, I was unable to find out anything of the author/illustrator's background which is vexing in this day of information overload!
The illustrations are delicately drawn and exquisite. I never would have discovered this book if I hadn't come across a wonderful review here on Good Reads. Our Library didn't own a copy, so I purchased one. I will keep this precious book safe to share with others.
I was curious to discover if the author is British due to the sense of Britishness of the writing and the irony of the choice of the name, "Cheerful" for a mouse whose "drooping whiskers made him look so sad." There is a gentle humor with a twist that calls my name. However, despite my internet searches, I was unable to find out anything of the author/illustrator's background which is vexing in this day of information overload!
The illustrations are delicately drawn and exquisite. I never would have discovered this book if I hadn't come across a wonderful review here on Good Reads. Our Library didn't own a copy, so I purchased one. I will keep this precious book safe to share with others.
December 7, 2018
I adored this book as a child. Back in the early sixties, the children's library had a small-format copy on the same little shelf as the Beatrix Potter books. I read it again and again, and each time it was like walking into a magical world.
Last week I suddenly remembered this book and bought it online. The current edition is a much larger format (New York Review); perhaps that is what makes the illustrations look so different to what I remember. It also occurs to me that the publisher of the old edition (probably the first) may have coloured some of the illustrations which here appear in black and white. Or perhaps I'm just older and more demanding?
It is still a wonderful read and a sweet, gentle story. We need more books that allow children to be children, and open their imaginations to the wonder of small things.
Last week I suddenly remembered this book and bought it online. The current edition is a much larger format (New York Review); perhaps that is what makes the illustrations look so different to what I remember. It also occurs to me that the publisher of the old edition (probably the first) may have coloured some of the illustrations which here appear in black and white. Or perhaps I'm just older and more demanding?
It is still a wonderful read and a sweet, gentle story. We need more books that allow children to be children, and open their imaginations to the wonder of small things.
August 18, 2012
This is one of my all time favorite stories from my childhood.
May 11, 2019
Cheerful was born a church mouse, but unlike his siblings Faith, Hope and Solemnity, he wasn't content with his city home, and dreamed of life in the country. Led on by the beautiful song that his mother - herself a country mouse - would always sing, a song describing the beauty of the passing seasons in an idyllic country setting, Cheerful set out to find the home of his dreams...
Originally published in 1957, and then reprinted by The New York Review Children's Collection in this new 2012 edition, Cheerful is a sweet little tale of a young mouse searching for the place where he belongs. A little bit longer than Palmer Brown's holiday mouse story, Something for Christmas , this brief 58-page title - although there are no chapters, as such, the narrative is divided naturally into brief two-page segments, with text on one page and illustration on the other - would make an excellent selection for young readers who are just beginning with longer fiction. I found the story engaging (although not as moving as Something for Christmas ), and thought the artwork, which alternates between black and white and delicately-colored etching-style drawings, was beautiful. Recommended to anyone who enjoys mouse stories!
Originally published in 1957, and then reprinted by The New York Review Children's Collection in this new 2012 edition, Cheerful is a sweet little tale of a young mouse searching for the place where he belongs. A little bit longer than Palmer Brown's holiday mouse story, Something for Christmas , this brief 58-page title - although there are no chapters, as such, the narrative is divided naturally into brief two-page segments, with text on one page and illustration on the other - would make an excellent selection for young readers who are just beginning with longer fiction. I found the story engaging (although not as moving as Something for Christmas ), and thought the artwork, which alternates between black and white and delicately-colored etching-style drawings, was beautiful. Recommended to anyone who enjoys mouse stories!
July 8, 2015
A very cute story with wonderful illustrations. I especially loved the drawing of Cheerful in a cupcake wrapper. So cute!
February 14, 2016
This is such a cute little story, and the illustrations are just the bonus. Really lovely little children's book.
February 21, 2014
Originally published in 1957, this small-format book is full of charming illustrations and a cute little story. Cheerful's father is a chruch mouse and his mother was a light-footed country mouse who came to the city by mistake and never found her way back. Cheerful's siblings are all perfectly suited to the city and are quite happy. White-footed Cheerful however, always longs for the land of the stories his mother tells. One day he gets his chance and off he goes!
July 26, 2020
This is a great little book portraying the life of a church mouse and his quest to get out and explore the countryside. It is written with the pen of someone who is heavily influenced by English culture, despite the author being from Chicago, Illinois!
I was unable to discover much about the background of the author. However. I recommend this as a great book to read to younger people as a distraction from our busy lives!
I was unable to discover much about the background of the author. However. I recommend this as a great book to read to younger people as a distraction from our busy lives!
March 23, 2023
A story about finding your place.
Cheerful is the son of a city church mouse and a wood-mouse that lost her way in the city on a wagon of spruce boughs and discovered no one knew the way out. He has a brother Solemnity, two sisters Faith and Hope. They gather the crumbs from bake sales, or the rice from weddings. On sunny days, they children frolic in the shadows of the stained glass. Cheerful dreams about living in the country his mother so often tells stories about the vibrant colors, and changing seasons-- his favorite being the green glass.
His siblings grow up to their destiny - Solemnity as a church mouse, his sisters marry in a baker and a delicatessen, respectively-- and grow merry and plump. Cheerful decides to leave home, to find the land his mother sang about to him. Traveling in a pushcart, landing in the grapes that are bought by an old lady with a cat. He spent some time and couldn't find cheerfulness. He asked the paper finch= it didn't know the song of his mother's land. He asked the chocolate rabbit- still nothing. Then he found the sugar egg, and rolled in....these were sent to her grand-daughter, in the country. He rushed out of the sugar egg and was very cheerful indeed.
Cheerful is the son of a city church mouse and a wood-mouse that lost her way in the city on a wagon of spruce boughs and discovered no one knew the way out. He has a brother Solemnity, two sisters Faith and Hope. They gather the crumbs from bake sales, or the rice from weddings. On sunny days, they children frolic in the shadows of the stained glass. Cheerful dreams about living in the country his mother so often tells stories about the vibrant colors, and changing seasons-- his favorite being the green glass.
His siblings grow up to their destiny - Solemnity as a church mouse, his sisters marry in a baker and a delicatessen, respectively-- and grow merry and plump. Cheerful decides to leave home, to find the land his mother sang about to him. Traveling in a pushcart, landing in the grapes that are bought by an old lady with a cat. He spent some time and couldn't find cheerfulness. He asked the paper finch= it didn't know the song of his mother's land. He asked the chocolate rabbit- still nothing. Then he found the sugar egg, and rolled in....these were sent to her grand-daughter, in the country. He rushed out of the sugar egg and was very cheerful indeed.
September 28, 2016
Cheerful is a mouse who lives with his parents and siblings - Solemnity, Faith, and Hope. All the mice are content living in the city church, all except Cheerful. There is fun to be had and plenty of wedding cake crumbs to be had. Cheerful's mother was a country mouse, who told her children stories about her childhood in the country. These appealed greatly to Cheerful, and it made him long to live in the quiet countryside. The little mice grew up. The two girl mice (Faith and Hope) got married and went to live in a bakery and deli, respectively. Solemnity followed in his father's footsteps and became a church mouse. He finally decided to leave the church, and wound up at an old woman's house, still in the city. He was content there for a time, but eventually grew discontent there as well. One day, he wound up in a bowl that got packed up and shipped to her granddaughter. She lived in the country and Cheerful finally felt at home. This was a very simple book with delicate illustrations and is great for children to read by themselves or have read to them.
March 30, 2007
I have a very old copy of this book from when I was really little. I can remember running down our hall and wanting to sit in my father's lap as he read it to me. I believe this book is my first memory of books and reading.
The story is about a mouse who lives in a church in the city, but he longs to live in the country that his mother tells him about. When he grows up, his siblings are happy in the city, but he takes an adventure to get to the country. The illustrations are simple, but cute and effective.
The story is about a mouse who lives in a church in the city, but he longs to live in the country that his mother tells him about. When he grows up, his siblings are happy in the city, but he takes an adventure to get to the country. The illustrations are simple, but cute and effective.
March 26, 2014
Who wouldn't be charmed by Palmer Brown's mice? It doesn't matter that some of the illustrations are black and white, while others are color--they're all cute! The story tells how Cheerful and his church mouse siblings, Hope, Solemnity, and Faith, grow up and go their separate ways, focusing on Cheerful, whose path is different from that of the others. Whereas the others prefer the city, Cheerful longs to see the countryside where his mother, a white-footed field mouse, was born. Does he achieve his dream? Read and find out. Very cute!
October 1, 2014
My wife picked this up at the library to read to our two young sons. I normally don't write reviews on my children's books, but I just loved this one. The story is sweet and innocent, about a young city mouse who dreams of living in the country. Originally published as a little book back in the 1950's, it harks back to an even earlier time, where the city was a sooty place, populated by the well-dressed and the proper, and the country was someplace exotic. A simple and almost magical little book.
June 25, 2022
After reading Palmer Brown's Hickory a while back, i finished up my comments by saying I should look for some more Palmer Brown books. Recently The New York Review Children's Collection had a sale of up to 40%, so I caught up on a few more of their titles! Cheerful is every bit as charming as Hickory!
Also liked the small format of the books (roughly 4.5" by 6.5"), easily held by a child. The illustrations, are delightful.
Also liked the small format of the books (roughly 4.5" by 6.5"), easily held by a child. The illustrations, are delightful.
April 17, 2014
I remember reading this one as a child and being fascinated by the large sugar Easter egg, complete with diorama inside, that Cheerful hides in. Beautiful illustrations!
April 7, 2015
Short but very cute book.
July 6, 2015
A sweet little story with darling illustrations.
December 3, 2017
A lovely tale about a mouse called Cheerful.
December 23, 2017
This is a cute book.
November 4, 2018
Cute book! Linden loved the small size and I loved the concept of wanting to get to nature and the drawings
December 7, 2020
very cute story, reminding of Beatrix Potter
February 3, 2021
The pictures are pretty. The story feels victorian maybe, and isn't necessarily my cup of tea. It took only about 20 minutes to read to my girls though, and they seemed to enjoy it.
April 21, 2023
A dear little vintage children's book with sweet pastel-colored illustrations. I remember reading this as a child, and just recently came across it again. Love this!
May 23, 2025
Absolutely adorable
November 9, 2025
Sweet and of its time.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews