The Mouse Who Carried a House on His Back - by Jonathan Stutzman (Hardcover)

About the Book

Vincent, a mouse who roams the world carrying his house on his back and stopping where he knows he should, offers food and shelter to animals in need. After setting up his house, he invites a weary bullfrog and a hungry cat inside. Each initially declines the offer, saying his house is too small. But after entering, they find that it is bigger than it looks. Others soon join them: deer, hedgehogs, badgers, rabbits, and a fox. Just as they are sitting down to dinner, a large, hungry bear knocks on Vincent's door. Fearful, the other animals urge their host to turn him away, but Vincent opens his home to the gentle bear, and all is well.

Book Synopsis

Celebrated artist Isabelle Arsenault joins forces with author Jonathan Stutzman for an enchanting tale about the expansive power of generosity.

Vincent was a mouse with boots on his feet, a hat on his head, and a house on his back.

When an ordinary spot on a grassy hill calls out to him, Vincent puts down the house he carries on his back and knows he's where he needs to be. As hungry and tired travelers pass by, Vincent welcomes them into his home, making room for everyone. And even when it seems that the house is as full as it possibly can be, there is no woodland animal so big or so scary--not a ravenous cat, nor a fox, nor a whole herd of deer--that Vincent would turn it away from his warm, magical home on the hill. Jonathan Stutzman's charming voice is enhanced by the elegant, inventive die-cut art of three-time Governor General's Award winner Isabelle Arsenault in this classic tale of a generous little mouse with a special house and an ever-expanding heart.

Review Quotes

Vincent the mouse's extraordinary house expands to make room for all in need of shelter. . . Delicate gouache, ink, and cut-paper illustrations in a subdued palette mirror the quietness of the text, and seeing the home's interior colors brighten in contrast with the dull drizzle outside is especially satisfying. . . a welcome message.
--Kirkus Reviews

Stutzman's text possesses a subtle humor. . . Arsenault's textured illustrations, filled with rewarding visual details and surprises at nearly every page-turn, bring to life the snug interior world of Vincent's home. A warm, welcome, and satisfying read.
--The Horn Book

Generosity literally knows no bounds for a small, red-nosed mouse named Vincent in this picture book. . . . an all-too-timely message of open doors and open hearts.
--Publishers Weekly

Lively, expressive. . . tells a satisfying tale, while leaving room for interpretation, discussion, and reflection.
--Booklist

About the Author

Jonathan Stutzman is the author of several picture books, including Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug, illustrated by Jay Fleck; Llama Destroys the World, illustrated by Heather Fox; and The Night Is for Darkness, illustrated by Joseph Kuefler. Jonathan Stutzman lives in Pennsylvania.

Isabelle Arsenault is an acclaimed illustrator whose work has achieved international recognition and won many awards, including the Governor General's Literary Award. She was short-listed for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2020 and was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2021. She is the illustrator of Just Because by Mac Barnett, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year, Captain Rosalie by Timothée de Fombelle, and many others. Isabelle Arsenault lives in Montreal.