Email this review to a friend.

In E.B. White's and Stuart Little's gentle world, the most extraordinary things are accepted without surprise. "When Mrs. Frederick C. Little's second son arrived, everybody noticed that he was not much bigger than a mouse. The truth of the matter was, the baby looked very much like a mouse in every way. He was only about two inches high; and he had a mouse's sharp nose, a mouse's whiskers and the pleasant, shy manner of a mouse." Stuart also had a fine sense of what matters. As a substitute teacher for Mrs. Gunderson, he dismissed math and spelling and talked instead about what is important: "Henry Rackmeyer, you tell us what is important." "A shaft of sunlight at the end of a dark afternoon, a note in music, and the way the back of a baby's neck smells if its mother keeps it tidy," answered Henry. "Correct," said Stuart. "Those are the important things. You forgot one thing, though. Mary Bendix, what did Henry Rackmeyer forget?" "He forgot ice cream with chocolate sauce on it," said Mary quickly. "Exactly," said Stuart. "Ice cream is important." We might quibble with one or two of the items on that list of what's important, but I think it comes a lot closer than most of the deep and profound books, and certainly than the silly books full of Chicken Soup. But what did E.B. White forget, class? Exactly. He forgot Stuart Little, And one more thing. You have to include the illustrations by Garth Williams. Ice cream, Stuart Little, and perfect pictures are important.

Reviewed by Doug R., Humor Columnist, The Charlotte Observer

Add your comments about this book

Connect to the PLCMC Online Catalog
Support the Library with your purchase.