Belling the Tiger

Asa and Rambo #1

by Mary Stolz, Pierre Pratt (Illustrator)

At last, Mary Stolz's 1962 Newbery Honor-winning book is back. And now, for the first time, the classic story is brought to life with colorful illustrations in a picture book format. Award-winning illustrator Pierre Pratt adds whimsical new art to this charming tale about two little mice assigned to a mission of putting a bell collar on the mean house cat. Following the successful trend in publishing classic stories in picture books with new illustrations, Belling the Tiger is an enchanting visual and literary adventure for readers aged 6 to 11.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Middle Grade

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Mary Stolz was a noted author for children and adolescents whose novels earned critical praise for the seriousness with which they took the problems of young people. Two of her books ''Belling the Tiger'' (1961) and ''The Noonday Friends'' (1965), were named Newbery Honor books by the ALA but it was her novels for young adults that combined romance with realistic situations that won devotion from her fans. Young men often created more problems and did not always provide happy ever after endings. Her heroines had to cope with complex situations and learn how to take action whether it was working as nurses (The Organdy Cupcakes), living in a housing project (Ready or Not), or escaping from being a social misfit by working for the summer as a waitress (The Sea Gulls Woke Me).

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few Newbery books that I enjoyed when I was a child. It's a little long for a picture-book, but I'm glad for this new edition, so more readers can discover the story.

What a fun adventure, with plenty of subtle commentary for adults and re-readers. For example, I love the episode when the library mouse says, at the first meeting, that other mice have had the idea to put a collar and bell on their house-cat, and he's ignored. And the names are fun, too; Bob, Ozzie, and Portman don't particularly *mean* anything, but they're Dickensian, euphonious and evocative.

I do hope that I can find the original (I'll have check openlibrary) when we discuss this in the Newbery Club.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing little story about courage and self-confidence.

A lowly pair of mice brothers are volunteered by all the other mice in the house to bell the cat that stalks them. But by circumstance they soon find themselves in a far away jungle with a cat far larger than any they have seen before.

Heads up: This comes in a picture book format, but there is a tremendous amount of text that took my wife three days of of ten- to twenty-minute sessions to read aloud to me.


SIDE NOTE:

The verso page of the 2004 edition I read -- with illustrations by Pierre Pratt -- has this statement:

"The artwork in this new edition is different from that in the 1961 edition. The text of this Newbery Honor Book has not changed."

This is a bit of a fib.

In adding this book to Goodreads and LibraryThing I've discovered that the mice in this book, Bob and Ozzie, were actually named Asa and Rambo in the original edition and its three sequels (which are not mentioned anywhere in this edition). The cat's name was originally Siri, but has become July here. The rest of the text seems unchanged, but I haven't done a full comparison and now have some doubts.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the 2004 edition with the PIerre Pratt illustrations. But, a statement on the verso page made it clear that this was the same text as the 1961 edition. I don't think I read this when I was a child--I didn't remember it. So, I really enjoyed this story of the adventurous little mice and how they were able to get themselves promoted from the closet to the pantry, after their adventure in, presumably, India (or some other country with tigers). The story had good action, a lot of humor, and some unlikely circumstances. It seemed unlikely that the tiger would not eat these two morsels when he saw them, but he didn't, and even helped them get back to the docks. Their adventures did help them grow into bolder, more courageous mice, so that they were no longer intimidated by the head mouse, Portman. I appreciate that this Newbery Honor book is one younger readers can enjoy.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of slight, but cute, and a satisfying ending. The pictures are new (the Newbery Honor text was published earlier with different illustrations), and do add quite a bit, in my opinion, but I checked very carefully that this picture book contains the original words (having been burned once by The Secret River). Despite my efforts, my husband discovered after we finished reading that the names of the mice and the cat had been changed! ( See his review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )

Nevertheless, the story was good enough that I will probably give at least one of the sequels a try even though they were not deemed worthy of new picture book editions.

[Shella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a picture book with a large amount of text on the pages. The story was a fun adventure for two mice. The pictures were not all that detailed compared to the text. There are two more picture books in this series.

[Miranda Paris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent picture book for older readers!

[Phil J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun adventure story. Stolz' prose has a gently ironic tone to it which I enjoyed. The reading level is higher than you might expect for a picture book- maybe around 1st or 2nd grade.

The illustrations are really nothing special. They lacked the playfulness of the text. There were several points at which the text was more descriptive than the pictures.

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a much longer story than the other "belling the cat" story I've read: But Who Will Bell the Cats?. This is quite a bit longer than your typical picture book. It is perfect for children who are ready for chapter books but still want a picture book.

I had to laugh at the mice meeting with the leader Portman, a kitchen mouse who "was silver, going gray, and knew what there was to know, from cellar to attic." I've been in meetings with a Portman-type before and Mary Stolz got him just right!

This won a Newbery Honor in 1962.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Belling the Tiger by (Asa and Rambo #1) by Mary Stolz, Illustrator Pierre Prat- Children’s Illustrated and descriptive colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of Asa and Rambo who are small twin mice. They reside in the cellar. The other mice lead by Portman chooses them to bell the cat living in the house. Both make a valiant attempt to bell her. They manage to get a blue collar with a bell. The cat derails their return journey. To escape the risk of being caught, they reach a ship. They live a good life on the ship and when it docks again they decide to see another land. They move down from the ship with the help of rope which is dug on the coastal land. They move down and reach a forest. Here they find a tiger. The tiger is like a cat but the tiger is friendly to them. They play on his body. Tiger informs them that mice can bother an elephant. Asa and Rambo do not know about an elephant. They fit the collar on tiger’s tail. They enquire the tiger about the way to return to the ship. Tiger helps them and shows them the way. The two reach the ship and have a normal life. For children, the book raises their imagination. Coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. What a shame this is out of print. The story is charming and the illustrations are adorable. Stolz takes "who will bell the cat" to another level. Asa and Rambo are small twin mice who live in the cellar. The other mice choose them to bell the cat living in the house. And they make a valiant attempt; they manage to get a collar with a bell but their journey home is derailed by a cat and they escape to a ship which then sails away with them. They live a good life on the ship and when it docks again they decide to see another land. The book contains more text than the average picture book and would be perfect for a child reading early chapter books (2nd-3rd grade). I read this for my Reading Challenge (52 wks "color orange on cover") and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1962). I read this via Open Library/Internet Archive due to library closures amid the Covid 19 pandemic.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bob and Ozzie, twin brother mice who live in the cellar of a seaside house have been voted to bell, July, the house cat. Their adventure takes them to a jungle where they meet a tiger, and they soon discover something about themselves that make them heroes after they return home from their trip abroad.

[Carlo Fortunato]

I think I was 6 years old when I read this. I loved Dr. Seuss, and this was next to him on the library shelf. It was 1964, so it wasn't the current picture book. I liked it very much and read it more than once, even though I had never heard the phrase "belling the cat" in my life before. I would love to find the old edition.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An attractively illustrated picture book which highlights the courageous journey of Bob and Ozzie, two cellar mice, who are chosen to both find a bell collar and then place it around the house cat's neck. They run into a few delays along the way, but in the process, they realize that their bravery leads to self-assurance and confidence.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two tiny mice are given the task of putting a bell on the house cat. They obtain the collar & bell. But instead of returning to the house, they find themselves on a ship. When the ship docks and they go ashore, they see a cat larger than they could imagine. The cat is a tiger. But it's still a cat and they have a job to do.
Lots of fun. Turn the brain off and enjoy the ride.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the reviews there must be at least 2 versions of this book. I really enjoyed the 1989 version where Bob & Ozzie are tasked with getting a bell collar on the cat July. The writing was fun and witty & I enjoyed the illustrations (my version was illustrated by Beni Montresor)

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute story. The two littlest mice get sent to bell the cat. They end up on a wild adventure instead. There are several really funny lines, and these two mice are just delightful characters, as is the tiger they meet.

[Amber Scaife · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun revision of the story of the mice trying to bell the cat.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the humor in this book.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Instead of a housecat, the mice bell a tiger!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would be really interested to read this story in its original format. I thought the story was a super cute and funny. It just feels too long for a picture book.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short Newbery Honor book about a couple of mice that get picked for the task of putting a bell on the local cat so that all of the mice will know it is coming.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newbery!
I thought this was really cute and I loved the art style (which apparently was added later? It wouldn't have been as good without the illustrations)!

[Scoper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally adorable.

[Hannah McEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A random find at Half Price and purchased to add to our collection of cat books. But as it turns out, this is a book about mice.
A little lengthy for a children’s book, but it was so silly and fun. Looking forward to finding the other two books in the “series” to read.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may be wordy but it is absolutely charming! It is a slightly more difficult read due to antiquated language. The illustrations are black and white but lovely.

[Monica Fastenau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the full review here: http://newberyandbeyond.com/newbery-r...

This book is all about the illustrations. The well-known story about mice attempting to put a bell on the house cat turns into a wild adventure when two small mice get taken away on a ship and eventually meet a tiger. It’s a short, cute, funny story that younger kids will love.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1962 Newbery Honor book is a cute and unique story about twin brother mice who have quite the adventure unexpectedly as they set out with the task to bell a cat. In the end, they don’t want to be “braggarts” about belling not just any cat, but a tiger (!!!), so as the reader it’s fun to know their full story, unlike the many other mice that they live with.

[Ollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These pictures and story are really well done.
My daughter and I loved this one, we got it from
The library and read it multiple times the adventure of them (2 mice) trying to bella tiger was very funny and exciting.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet tale of two timid mice on a quest. I enjoyed it and will recommend it to second and third graders.

Thinking of this book in terms of the Newbery Honor that it was awarded (or technically retroactively awarded, since before 1971 they were "runners up") forces me to remind myself that being distinguished can be viewed in multiple ways, and that I need to examine my biases. One of which, apparently, is that, like many people, I tend to assign more weight to longer books which have the time and space to flesh things out that an early chapter book does not.

But back to the criteria! The characters of the two mice were well drawn, particularly considering how short the book is. They had a clear character arc, both as a pair, and as individuals, with Asa becoming more proactive over the course of the story. Self-important Portman, while a one-note character, was nevertheless vividly drawn. I particularly liked the section where the mice decide to continue on their quest because while all other fears are theoretical, the fear of Portman, whom they see every day, is tangible and real to them.

Of the Newbery books and Honor books that I have read so far, this one most resembles My Father's Dragon, both in its relatively light-hearted tone as well as its reading level and episodic adventure quest nature. I liked MFD better, partly I think because I enjoy imaginative romps.