Ratatouille meets Roald Dahl in the funny and fantastical story of a determined mouse on a mission to procure the world's tastiest cheese. From the author of A Boy Called Christmas– now a Netflix movie starring Kristen Wiig, Maggie Smith and Henry Lawfull!
When Nikolas left the only home he had ever known, it was a mouse named Miika who kept him company, and it was Miika who accompanied him on his journey to the Far North, in search of his father. But before the events of A Boy Called Christmas , this little mouse was the hero of his own story.
A Mouse Called Miika is an epic adventure story on a miniature scale. It's a tale of mice and men (and more mice). It is about one independent mouse who gets fed up with the other mice, and sets out on a quest of his own to prove that cheese exists, and learns to appreciate other creatures. It is also a tale of great love (of cheese) and great danger. And learning the lesson that, with cheese, as with life, what matters most is not how strongly you smell, but how strong you are on the inside.
Funny, cheeky, wise, and packed full of Matt Haig's signature warmth. This is set to become a year-round children's favorite.
Matt Haig is the author of novels such as The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Radleys, and the forthcoming The Life Impossible. He has also written books for children, such as A Boy Called Christmas, and the memoir Reasons to Stay Alive.
A warm mouse A sleepy mouse A happy mouse A mouse called Miika.
Want to know what happens to Miika the mouse after he travels with Nikolas to Elfhelm? This is the story of what happens when he tries to be brave and falls from the sky while flying with Blitzen. How the Truth Pixie drimwicks him and he has to learn how to be a mouse with magic. If you loved A Boy Called Christmas, you will want to see what happens after to Miika.
If you’ve read A Boy Called Christmas, The Girl Who Saved Christmas,Father Christmas and Me and / or The Truth Pixie, you’ll have some idea of the charm and adventures in this latest in Matt Haig’s Christmas series.
’Two brave mice, one quest for cheese…’
An epic escapade, the story of a mouse named Miika who never knew his dad, and although he knew his mum, Ulla, was ’very, very very tired’ with thirteen little mice to care for, she fell asleep before she could get around to naming him. He was always hungry, the weakest and the smallest, the last one born, and the one who went largely ignored by his Mum. So one early morning, when the other mice are sleeping, he decides to leave his home in the tree. He pauses before leaving, saying goodbye to everyone, including his Mum, but no one is listening.
He meets Bridget the Brave, who lives in another tree where she has piles of mushrooms and elf cheese, and an adventure begins.
Like the other books in this series aimed at Middle School readers, there is a subtle message about the things in life that really matter, and the power attained by believing in yourself.
این کتاب برای من یادآور داستان قدم یازدهم بود. ولی داستان میکا رو خیلی بیشتر دوست داشتم. تصویرگری کتاب عالی بود و واقعا دوستداشتنی! داستان موشی به نام میکا که پدرش توسط عقاب خورده میشه و مادری داشته که کلا به علت تعداد زیاد بچههاش نسبت به وضعیت میکا بیتوجه بوده بنابراین میکا تصمیم بگیره که بره و دنیا رو خودش کشف کنه... به این برسه که باید خودش باشه گرچه همرنگ جماعت بودن حس خوبی داره ولی خب منحصر به فرد بودن چیزی دیگست. به نظرم کتاب سرگرم کننده و جالبی بود.
A Mouse Called Miika is a middle-grade children’s book in the Christmas series by British author, Matt Haig. Miika, the 101st son of (very tired) Ulla and (deceased) Munch, departed the tree hole where he was born without a name. After discovering how hard it was to survive in The World Outside, he was overjoyed to inhabit the cabin deep in the woods of Finland where Joel and Nikolas eked out a living. He was equally happy to join the quest Nikolas made to the Far North, and very satisfied to be living near Elfhelm in a tiny cottage with the Truth Pixie, where Loka the elf occasionally gives him cheese.
But Nikolas is busy with Elf Council business, and he really wants a friend, so he’s glad to have found another mouse, Bridget the Brave. But Bridget criticises his mouse-ness, and challenges him to be brave: she doesn’t want a coward for a friend. This leads to a foolish act in which he is drimwicked at the point of death, something of which the elder elves highly disapprove. His resulting powers, when revealed during an attack by the Snow Owl, see Bridget cosying up to him with a plan she labels “an adventure”. Miika goes along with it, against his better judgement, and the result is almost catastrophic.
Haig’s characters display plenty of flaws and weaknesses, and he uses the nasty Bridget to demonstrate emotional blackmail and gaslighting. Several of his characters, including the Truth Pixie, have wise words and good advice for Miika so that he learns what courage really is, and how he can choose to be true to himself. She tells him: “it is better to be disliked for being who you are than to be liked for who you are not. Being who you are not is exhausting.” Haig’s highly original tale is enhanced with charming illustrations by Chris Mould. Once again, delightful.
"Das Unmögliche ist eine Möglichkeit die du nur noch nicht erkannt hast." Bezaubernde Geschichte über die kleine Maus Miika, die mit dem Jungen namens Weihnacht Richtung Wichtelgrund gezogen ist und dort ihre ganz eigenen Abenteuer erlebt. Und Rufus Beck als Hörbuch Sprecher sollte hier wirklich sehr lobend erwähnt werden, er hat wieder einen tollen Job gemacht und besonders über seine Interpretation von Troll Liedern habe ich mich wunderbar amüsiert und das ganze zweimal zurück gespült um es nochmal hören zu können. Ein Spaß für Jung und Alt, für alle die sich gerne verzaubern lassen. Und natürlich hat das Ganze noch eine schöne Moral der Geschichte, denn "auf das Ende kommt es an" Gerne mehr davon
Mets Heigs rullē atkal. Stāsts par pelēnu Mīku, kurš iepinies toksiskā draudzībā ar pelīti Bridžitu Brašo, ir stāsts par sevis apzināšanos un pieņemšanu. Grāmatu caurvij Heiga morālītes un dzīves gudrības, bet notikumi norisinās laumu, elfu un troļļu pilnā pasaulē. Pamācoši, sirsnīgi un mīļi!
Auf „Eine Weihnachtsmaus namens Miika“ habe ich mich richtig gefreut. Ich liebe die Weihnachtsreihe von Matt Haig, daher stand für mich sofort fest, dass ich auch die Geschichte von Mäuserich Miika unbedingt kennenlernen möchte. Und da der Audio Verlag zu meiner großen Freude auch zu diesem Titel eine ungekürzte Lesung mit Rufus Beck herausgebracht hat, habe ich, wie bereits bei den Vorgängern, sowohl das Buch als auch das Hörbuch bei mir einziehen lassen.
Irgendwo am nördlichsten Zipfel von Finnland, an einem Ort, den man auf keiner Landkarte finden kann, liegt ein kleines Dörfchen namens Wichtelgrund. Hier leben Wichtel, fliegende Rentiere und Elfen – und eine winzige Maus namens Miika. Von diesem kleinen Mäuserich handelt diese Geschichte. Solange Miika sich erinnern kann, war er schon immer unscheinbar. Als die kleinste und schwächste Maus seines Wurfes wurde er immer übersehen und ist ständig zu kurz gekommen. Da er immerzu hungrig war und sich nach einem vollen Bauch sehnte, wagte er sich schließlich eines Tages in die große weite Welt hinaus. Gemeinsam mit dem Menschenjungen Nicholas, den er auf seiner Reise begleitet und dabei geholfen hat, seine wahre Berufung zu finden, ist er schließlich in Wichtelgrund gelandet. Anders jedoch als Nicholas, ist Miika noch auf der Suche nach seiner Bestimmung. In der Mäusedame Künna, der Kühnen hat er aber zumindest schon einmal eine Freundin gefunden. Miika möchte jedoch endlich allen beweisen, was wirklich in ihm steckt. Ob ihm seine neuen magischen Fähigkeiten vielleicht dabei helfen können? Miika wurde nämlich vor kurzem versehentlich von einem Wichtelmädchen verdrumwickt und ist nun halb Maus, halb magisch. Er ist sich jedoch unsicher, was er von diesem Zauber halten soll, im Gegensatz zu Künna, die unbedingt ausprobieren möchte, was Miika alles kann. Sie überredet ihn schließlich dazu, sich zusammen mit ihr zu den Trollen aufzumachen, um von ihnen den köstlichsten und stinkendsten Käse der Welt zu stehlen: Den sagenhaften, unfassbar leckeren Urga-Burga! Ein großes Abenteuer beginnt...
Bei mir ist es nun schon wieder eine ganze Weile her, dass ich die dreibändige Weihnachtsserie von Matt Haig gelesen und gehört habe und obwohl meine Erinnerungen an die genauen Ereignisse inzwischen nicht mehr die frischesten sind, habe ich völlig problemlos in „Eine Weihnachtsmaus namens Miika“ hineingefunden. Meinem Empfinden nach kann man das Buch auch ohne jegliche Vorkenntnisse lesen bzw. hören. Es hängt zwar mit der eigentlichen Reihe zusammen, erzählt aber dennoch eine eigenständige und in sich abgeschlossene Geschichte.
Miika, den wir in „Ein Junge namens Weihnacht“ als Nicolas’ treuen Begleiter kennenlernen durften, schlüpft hier nun also in die Rolle des Hauptprotagonisten und berichtet uns von seinen eigenen abenteuerlichen Erlebnissen. Ich mochte Miika bereits als Nebencharakter wahnsinnig gerne und auch dieses Mal hat er sich mit seiner liebenswerten Art und seiner großen Leidenschaft für Käse direkt in mein Herz geschlichen. Mit Miika hat der Matt Haig einfach eine bezaubernde Figur erschaffen, man muss diese süße und käseverrückte Maus einfach gernhaben.
Auch die weiteren Charaktere, mit denen dieses Buch bestückt ist, haben mir unheimlich gut gefallen. Ich fand es total schön lauter alte Bekannte wiederzusehen wie der Menschenjunge Nicholas, die Wahrheitselfe Pixie und Väterchen Topo. Auf ein paar neue Gesichter dürfen wir aber natürlich ebenfalls treffen wie zum Beispiel auf Künna die Kühne. Nett und sympathisch ist diese aufgeblasene und besserwisserische Mäusedame allerdings nicht, in ihr hat Miika definitiv keine gute Freundin gefunden. Was genau ich damit meine, werde ich euch hier jedoch nicht verraten, das müsst ihr schon selbst herausfinden.
Neben den Figuren hat mich Matt Haig auch handlungstechnisch von Anfang an begeistern können. „Eine Weihnachtsmaus namens Miika“ erzählt eine warmherzige, spannende und lustige Geschichte über Mut, wahre Freundschaft, dem Wunsch nach Zugehörigkeit, das Treffen von richtigen Entscheidungen und den Glauben an sich selbst (und natürlich auch über Käse). Miika wird sich im Verlauf des Buches bewundernswert weiterentwickeln und über sich selbst hinauswachsen, er wird erkennen, dass Käse allein nicht alles ist, sondern was wirklich wichtig ist im Leben. Die Erzählung enthält so einige wertvolle Botschaften, liebevoll und kindgerecht verpackt in einem spannenden und magischen Abenteuer bei dem unter anderen ein Drumwick-Zauber, der köstlichste Käse der Welt und eine Horde gefährlicher Trolle wichtige Rollen spielen werden. Langeweile kommt hier definitiv nicht auf. Die Handlung braucht zwar ein kleines bisschen, bis sie so richtig in Schwung kommt, aber nachdem sie einmal an Fahrt aufgenommen hat, mag man aus der Erzählung wirklich gar nicht mehr auftauchen.
Die Altersangabe vonseiten des dtv Verlags liegt bei ab acht Jahren, der Audio Verlag empfiehlt das Hörbuch allerdings schon ab sechs. Also ich persönlich halte „Eine Weihnachtsmaus namens Miika“ für sechsjährige Kinder für noch etwas zu früh und würde Buch und Hörbuch eher ab 8 Jahren empfehlen. Da aber natürlich jedes Kind anders ist, muss man das wohl einfach individuell entscheiden.
Illustriert wurde das Buch, wie bereits Matt Haigs vorherige Weihnachtsbücher, von Chris Mould. Er hat die Erzählung mit zahlreichen detailreichen schwarz-weiß Illustrationen versehen und egal ob die kleineren oder die ganz- und doppelseitigen Bilder – alle harmonieren sie hervorragend zum Geschehen im Text und machen das Lesen zu einem einzigartigen Erlebnis.
Da ich, wie oben bereits erwähnt, auch dem Hörbuch gelauscht habe, bin ich neben der tollen Innengestaltung auch in den Genuss der genialen Vortragsweise von Rufus Beck gekommen. Er fängt die Stimmen der verschiedenen Charaktere mal wieder rundum gelungen ein und beschert uns mit seinem unvergleichlichen Vorlesetalent das allerschönste Hörvergnügen. Eines meiner Highlights waren die Trolle, die liest Rufus Beck echt klasse. Es ist wirklich einfach nur die reinste Freude ihm zuzuhören. Ein klein wenig schade fand ich nur, dass es keine Musik gibt, dies habe ich bereits bei den Hörbüchern der Vorgängerbände kritisiert. So ein paar weihnachtliche Klänge zwischendurch hätte ich nicht schlecht gefunden. Ich werde deswegen aber keinen Stern abziehen, es wäre für mich einfach das i-Tüpfelchen oben drauf gewesen.
Fazit: Eine zauberhafte Geschichte voller Magie, Witz und Wärme – und mit ganz viel leckerem Käse. Die perfekte Lektüre für gemütliche Wintertage in der Vorweihnachtszeit! Matt Haig schenkt uns mit „Eine Weihnachtsmaus namens Miika“ ein wunderbares Kinderbuch für Jung und Alt, in welchem er uns auf eine ganz besondere Reise in den hohen Norden Finnlands mitnimmt. Ich kann „Eine Weihnachtsmaus namens Miika“ nur empfehlen, sowohl als Buch als auch als Hörbuch. Es erzählt eine so schöne Geschichte über eine kleine Maus, die lernt an sich selbst zu glauben und den Mut findet, das Richtige zu tun. Mir hat es jede Menge Spaß gemacht, den mutigen Mäuserich Miika auf seinem großem Abenteuer zu begleiten und mich dabei von der herzerwärmenden Erzählung, Chris Moulds herrlichen Illustrationen und der großartigen Vortragsweise von Rufus Beck verzaubern zu lassen. Von mir gibt es 5 von 5 Sternen!
Oh my heavens, what a cute little book. I could hear myself reading this aloud to my fourth grade students. A Mouse called Miika is a delightful little book about what it means to be a friend, what it means to be true to yourself, and the consequences of friendship based on conditions. Miika the mouse wants to be friends with Bridget so much so that he will betray his own inner voice and conscience to be the person she demands he be. Told with humor and lighthearted language, Matt Haig gives us a lot to think about as we piece together what makes friendship such a worthwhile endeavor, and what happens when we ignore our own moral compass to keep friends.
I will be reading this to my class! Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's and the author for a copy of this ebook.
“An impossibility is just a possibility you don’t understand yet” – Father Topo
While I have yet to read book 1 and 2, I did read book 3 and both the books about The Truth Pixie. So when I saw this adorable book from the series, this time about a mouse called Miika, I just knew I had to get it. I knew it wouldn’t matter that I still need to read a few books! I knew I would enjoy this~
And I did! I mean, for one this is about a mouse and I just love mice! For two, despite this taking place in summer, this is a Christmas village and you can just feel the Christmas magic ooze everywhere. For three, I do love a good book about self-discovery and finding yourself.
Meet Miika, a small little mouse who used to have no name because of how big his family was but thanks to Nikolas Miika got a name + more! And in this book we follow Miika on his way to find himself. I loved Miika instantly. He was such a fun character and I really loved how brave and sweet he was. And when he became magic… I just had fun seeing him discover his powers. He had a big love for cheese and I loved that he was looking forward to cheeses. I think that is also why he just went for the dangerous plot that Bridget the Brave cooked up.
I was also rooting for Miika to find himself. Especially now after being drimwicked and thus becoming half mouse/half magic (all epic). I am happy I was able to go on this journey with Miika and see him discover new ways to do things. To figure out where his place is. To find his home. To be happy!
I was a 100% not fan of Bridget the Brave! I mean, I love her name. I love that she speaks up and isn’t going to be shy. But I didn’t like how she pushed Miika. Made him feel bad if he didn’t want to do anything, using the I am your only friend card heavily. I didn’t like how she just wouldn’t see that elves and the others aren’t that bad. Instead she kept badmouthing them even though she knew that Miika cared about them. I just wanted to shove a giant snowball into her face. 😐 She should be renamed to Bridget the Rude. Or Bridget the Angry.
So I found myself rooting for Miika to see the truth. See that Bridget is toxic. Yes. It is a friendship with a mouse, and you clearly want that, but this is just not healthy. I was just hoping that he would just find the courage to shout NO at her. To tell her the truth. To tell her that she can just go on dangerous stuff herself.
The part with the trolls, OH MY GOSH, I loved it. It brought a sense of danger to the book! An extra spice bit of spice to make the book even better~
The ending made me smile and yes, I also teared up just a bit. It was just a great ending to a great book. A book that I flew through in one go. I just HAD to read it and finish it.
Love, love, loved the illustrations!
I would highly recommend this lovely book full of magic, trolls, tons of yummy cheese, elves, and self-discovery to all!
★★★★★ for the artwork ★★★★★ for the message ★★☆☆☆ for the pacing/cuts. These were awkward and/or jarring at times.
NETGALLEY ARC
The artwork is honestly the best part because it's so dang adorable with the message being equally as lovely. This book has some brilliant, wonderful lines that push the reader for authenticity, ordinary courage (to use Dr Brené Brown's word), and acceptance. Acceptance of your truths, acceptance that not everyone will like you. It highlights that bad and good don't make something so, it's how you react, how you deal.
With regards to this being set in the same world, it would have probably been better to read "A Boy Called Christmas" and the others in terms of feeling more of a bond with characters, so heads up on that front. They are short reads, though, a nice length for those just starting to tackle chapter books.
Every adult should read a kids book once in a while. And the perfect author for that is Matt Haig. Utterly charming tale of a mouse who lives surrounded by elves and steals some cheese from the trolls.
A heartwarming companion story to Haig's A Boy Called Christmas. Although it is set in Elfham with many of the same characters, this time the focus is on Miika and his new mouse friend Bridget the Brave. They both love cheese and Bridget knows where they can get the best cheese in the world. The only obstacle is that it is being held by trolls. This is a humorous adventure story with a wonderfully kind mouse who learns some important lessons about being honest with himself and his friends.
"So it just shows you, my little mouse acquaintance, that it's not what happens to you in life, it's how you choose to deal with what happens."
"I want to be a kind creature. And sometimes the very bravest thing is to be who you want to be."
A small and friendly book you’d have liked your 10 year old self to read. It portrays what a toxic friendship could look like and how self love shapes you and your actions in the end. I loved reading this book.
What a lovely little story. Intended for the 9 - 12 age range, this is the story of a mouse who lives in Elfhelm with the Truth Pixie. (see also: A Boy Called Christmas, The Truth Pixie and The Truth Pixie Goes to School). Miika has only one mouse friend…..but is she really his friend? Great lessons learned through the story. “Not everyone we meet will always want the best for us. And not everyone will know our truth. If people want to hate us, it’s easier to let them. You see, it is better to be disliked for being who you are than to be liked for who you are not. Being who you are not is exhausting.” Love this and would love for all children to learn this early, before those possibly difficult teen years. #indigoemployee
An adorable story about what it means to be a friend and self acceptance. Beautiful writing with a wry sense of humor, Miika's story captured my heart. The illustrations are fantastic as well.
Miika leaves home because he wishes to explore the outside world and the guilt of stealing a mushroom from his mother. After a short stay in the woodcutter home, he and Nikolas find themselves in Elfhelm (Finland) surrounded by elves, pixies and a fellow mouse, Bridget the Brave.
Following an incident with the reindeer, Miika receives power; as a result, he becomes half a mouse and half a magic. On one hand, Miika is in a battle with himself – who is he? On the other hand, he tries to conform to Bridget and keep the ‘friendship’. He even agrees to steal the most delicious “Urga-burga” cheese from the Troll Valley. But when the troll arrives, and the town is in danger, Miika risks his life and acts.
“A Mouse Called Miika” feels like a fairy tale story in which beautifully illustrated black-and-white characters behave and think humanely. Each chapter starts with an artistically written capital letter with a mouse, making it attractive for the children. Magic and values are combined to teach readers to value themselves for who they are: “You see, it is better to be disliked for being who you are than to be liked for who you are not. "
“A Mouse Called Miika” is an engaging story suitable for reading aloud or as an introduction to the first (short) chapter books for KS1 children. It might pose the question of who you could be and the actual value of friendship.
This was an adorable novella focusing on Nikolas’s mouse companion, Miika. These books are technically middle-grade reading level, but I don’t give a shit, I love them. Also, I’m grumpy because my head hurts & my tummy is gross, and continuing this series from where I left off last year was exactly what I needed right now. Cracking open book 3 immediately, and I’ll probably be sad when it’s over.
this might be one of my favourite books I’ve read this year. It’s such a wholesome little book and even though it’s a children’s book, it doesn’t feel like I’m too old to be reading it. It was also just refreshing to read a children’s book again and get to look at drawings (that are really well done) while reading. another big slay from matt haig!!
Miika is just soooo incredibly cute and I loved getting to know more about this story. Also, the illustrations in this book are just so fascinating. I don‘t want to say they are ugly but there is something arresting about their non-perfectness. Again, just a perfect read for Christmas time and I cannot wait to read more next Winter.
My favourite character in this amazing book is Nickolas (Father Christmas) who in the book gets rescued by Miika the mouse the main character of this book I also like Blitzen who is a reindeer who fails to carry Miika to her home but Miika ends up in the truth pixie’s house and the truth pixie tries to heal the wounded mouse.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventurous stories.
I’m eight and think 7 year olds would enjoy this book the most because I would have enjoined reading it a year ago
An adorable, quick read about a mouse who learns the meaning of courage and takes a stand to help the ones he loves. The illustrations were well done and this book was just a lovely does of magic!