Book Review: Stuart Little by E. B. White

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Fun first half

Cons: Stuart's actions in the second half, ending

The Bottom Line:

Stuart is selfish

Never noticed as a kid

Wish it were better

Congratulations!  It's a . . . Mouse?

I was introduced to Stuart Little while in first grade when my teacher read the book aloud to the class. I remember being caught up in the adventure and loving every minute of it. I decided to reread it recently and must admit I was disappointed that it didn't live up to my memories.

When Mrs. Fredrick C. Little gave birth to her second son, everyone was surprised when it was a mouse. Even though Stuart is only two inches tall, he has all the attributes of a human, including the ability to talk. And he finds that his small size is a help around the house. But it also gets him into some dangerous situations since people often overlook him. Whether it's going down the drain looking for a ring, sailing a boat on a pond in Central Park, or accidentally getting thrown out with the garbage, you can bet that Stuart will face any obstacle with determination. But what will he face next?

The book breaks down nicely into two halves. In the first half, we get a series of unrelated adventures. Most of these stories take up one chapter, but occasionally they stretch over two. These are fun and show a great amount of imagination. Heck, just dealing with every day life as a human when you are two inches tall takes creativity. And there's plenty of it here. I loved this part.

Then comes the second half. Here, a plot finally begins to form involving Stuart's friendship with a bird. It takes the book off in a new direction that could have been wonderful. Instead, the last few chapters are just plain weird. As I finished them, I found myself wondering what the point of what I had just read was. And don't get me started on the ending. Even as a child, it bothered me that the book just ended. I mean, we start to invest in a story, but we don't see where the story leads.

This leads me to believe that the book is really a character study instead of a normal novel. Stuart is definitely the only character who is developed. His parents and older brother are only there to react to situations to set up an adventure. Stuart is an odd mix as a character. He's determined, which is good. Yet in the second half that becomes stubborn. In fact, the second half shows him becoming very immature and not at all a good role model for kids. I'll admit I really didn't like him by the time the book ended.

The book is over 60 years old, and it shows occasionally, especially if Stuart has to pay for anything. The prices of things are downright funny, although they will probably pass over most kid's heads. For the most part, kids will follow everything here just fine.

Almost every page of the book features illustrations by Garth Williams, best known for illustrating the Little House series. They are cute and charming and expertly capture the events of the story. Kids will love them.

It sure is a shame this well loved book from childhood didn't live up to my memories. The first half was great, but the second half drags the book down. You may want to read the book again yourself before you share Stuart Little with your kids.