The Station Mouse
on Goodreads (49)
What’s inside...
The Station Mouse tells the story of Maurice, a mouse who lives in a busy train station. Maurice has a very important job: he must follow the rules, which include collecting lost items and making sure they are stored for a year and a day. However, when a young boy loses his teddy bear, Maurice faces a dilemma that challenges his strict adherence to the rules and leads him on an unexpected adventure. Maurice is the Station Mouse, and so he must follow three key rules: remain unseen, never go out in the daytime, and never approach the passengers. Despite the risk of breaking these rules, Maurice is compelled to help a little boy who has lost his teddy bear, facing potential consequences. The book features humorous details and illustrations, including Maurice's tiny spider sidekick, and maps of the train station on each endpaper showing Maurice's safe and dangerous paths.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
3-5
Length
40 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think Maurice feels when he finds something lost at the train station?
How do you think helping others makes Maurice feel?
If you were Maurice, what would you do if you found something lost?
Can you think of a time when you helped someone? How did that make you feel?
Why do you think rules are important? What do you think happens if we don't follow them?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to put themselves in Maurice's shoes, fostering empathy and understanding of the character's feelings.
Discuss the importance of rules and why Maurice has to follow them at the train station, relating it to rules at home or school.
Use real-life examples of when your child helped someone and connect those feelings to Maurice’s experiences in the story.
Prompt your child to think about what they would do with a lost item, encouraging moral reasoning and decision-making skills.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Importance of helping others
Explanation: The protagonist, Maurice, assists lost items to find their rightful owners, demonstrating a strong sense of duty and care.
Real-World Application: Children learn the value of helping others which can foster kindness and cooperation in classroom settings or during playtime.
Example Lesson: Courage to step outside one’s comfort zone
Explanation: Despite his fears, Maurice ventures beyond his usual routine to help a lost toy, showcasing bravery.
Real-World Application: This encourages children to face their fears and embrace new experiences, whether trying a new activity or making new friends.
Example Lesson: Responsibility
Explanation: Maurice follows the rules of the railway's lost property office meticulously, demonstrating the importance of responsibility in his role.
Real-World Application: Children learn the importance of fulfilling their duties reliably, be it in their chores at home or assignments at school.
Example Lesson: Empathy and understanding
Explanation: Maurice empathizes with the distress of the lost toy, displayed through his dedicated efforts to provide comfort and find the toy's owner.
Real-World Application: This teaches children to understand and share the feelings of others, paving the way for empathetic interactions in their own lives.
Example Lesson: Creativity in problem-solving
Explanation: Maurice uses innovative methods to solve the issue of the lost toy, demonstrating creative problem-solving.
Real-World Application: It encourages children to think creatively when faced with challenges, enhancing their ability to come up with unique solutions.