School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5 Tumtum and Nutmeg, two sweet mice, have "adopted" the children of Rose Cottage. Arthur and Lucy are neglected by their absentminded inventor father, so the mice mend clothes, make home repairs, tidy up, and generally look after their well-being. The three stories in this sequel to Tumtum and Nutmeg (Little, Brown, 2009) follow the mice as they risk their lives to retrieve Christmas gifts for the children from an evil neighboring mouse, attend to them on a seaside holiday replete with treasure maps and more evil mice, and get involved with some nasty circus mice. Their friend General Marchmouse, recently retired, can't resist an adventure, and is always in the thick of both the problems and solutions. There is a redundancy in the story lines and an overreliance on mechanical toys as conveyances; both will likely be overlooked by young readers. From a narrative standpoint, this sequel stands alone, but its foundational matter-the whimsical setting and character description-are not fully expressed here. Price's pen-and-ink pictures are well-suited to the story.-Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
This follow-up to Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall presents three more stories about mouse couple Tumtum and Nutmeg. Here, the pair saves Christmas, solves a seaside mystery, and rescues General Marchmouse from a fugitive circus caravan. Big-hearted characters, shown in detail-rich black-and-white illustrations, make these tales comforting read-alouds. Recipes of dishes mentioned in the stories (e.g., mini lemon pancakes--yum!) are appended. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The Wind in the Willows and The Borrowers. (recipes) (Fantasy. 6-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The titular mice of Tumtum and Nutmeg (2009) are back with more adventures. The long-married mice live in the modest cottage of Arthur, Lucy, and their eccentric widower father, but they make forays outside of their cozy cupboard. In the two stories (out of three) that were available for review at press time, Tumtum and Nutmeg manage to save Christmas and provide the children with a memorable adventure. Bearn builds suspense without turning the tales into dire situations; the evil forces are, after all, only other mice, easily subdued by reason, by cajoling, or by the children.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2010 Booklist
