Milton the Mouse

A chase, a ride, a chase and hide, and Milton the mouse lands in new territory: the Stewart household.

The wily escape artist has the run of the house until one fateful night when he is caught.

What do you do with a mouse that hitches a ride home from a camping trip? Feed it? Turn it loose in a strange landscape? Will Milton be happy in captivity?

The children give him a cage, a nest, a wheel, and water. Matt plays Beethoven on the piano for him, and Kathleen composes a song about him.

""O fie my wandering mouse, how thou dost stray"" is all that Dad will say.

Milton is content until one day the wild life beckons again, and he escapes. How will the children find him? Will they discover Milton's secret?

""Milton will capture readers' imaginations. He is a mouse with spunk and adaptability. I love how Milton recites pieces of poetry as a way to express his feelings. The additional facts at the end can entice those nonfiction fans of all ages. Janice Kirk, thank you for taking us on this adventure."" --Karen A. Sorvaag, Saint Mary's University, MN "

"Jan Kirk's children's book Milton the Mouse is full of adventure and fun! I can just picture Milton as he scurries in and out of trouble. The snippets of John Milton's poetry and Beethoven's piano works give the story an additional element that will hopefully make children curious about these two great men and their works. I can't wait to read it to my grandchildren!"" --Cindy Johnson, retired public school orchestra teacher "

"Janice Kirk's first children's book, Milton the Mouse, is a delightful bedtime read. It offers a glimpse into the adventures of a white-footed deer mouse that learns to love Beethoven sonatas and John Milton couplets after hitching a ride to the city, far from his Great Basin Desert burrow.

This captivating tale is perfect for children ages 6 to 12. Even adults will enjoy the Fun Facts appendix."" --George L. Winship, editor, writer, researcher, and musical performance critic; The Village Wordsmith A lifetime of camping and sketching the American West is inspiration for artist and author Janice E. Kirk. She wrote The Christmas Redwood, A Forest Parable; The Road to Beaver Park: Painting, Perception, and Pilgrimage; Cherish the Earth, the Environment and Scripture; and she illustrated Wild Edible Plants of Western North America (by Donald R. Kirk). Teacher of art, language arts, and music (including voice at Simpson University in Redding, California), she hopes readers will enjoy nature's wonders every day.