Anatole (mouse)
Encyclopedia
Anatole is the title character in a series of children's books written by Eve Titus
and illustrated by Paul Galdone
.
Anatole is a mouse
who lives in an un-named 'mouse village' outside the French
city of Paris
, commuting by bicycle who was foraging for food when he overheard some humans complaining about mice as villainous. Deeply aggrieved at the insult to his honor, Anatole resolved to do better.
To do so, he goes to work in a French cheese
factory as a taster and evaluator of the factory's product. Working alone and anonymously late at night, he leaves notes to guide the cheesemakers in their work. His taste for good cheese leads to the factory's commercial success and to his murine fame - to such an extent that Anatole is regularly hailed as a "mouse magnifique" by rodent contemporaries. The factory's human owners and workers also hold his work in high esteem, although they have no idea that the mysterious Anatole is a mouse, believing him simply an eccentric cheese connoisseur who prefers to work alone.
In these works the author, through the character of Anatole, consistently places emphasis on the dignity of work. Anotole lives in a conventional nuclear family, married to the beautiful and supportive Doucette and with six lovely children.
Two books in the series were nominated for the Caldecott Medal
: Anatole in 1957 and Anatole and the Cat in 1958, and were subsequently named Caldecott Honor books.
The stories have also been used for an animated television series
from Canada
's Nelvana
studios and France
's Alphanim
. The 26-episode series originally aired on America's CBS
network in 1998 and was rerun on the Disney Channel
from 2001 until 2004. Previously in 1966, there was an animated segment based on the books for the cult film Alice of Wonderland in Paris
.
Eve Titus
Eve Titus was a children's author most famous for her books featuring anthropomorphic mice.Her most famous characters include Anatole, a heroic and resourceful French mouse and Basil of Baker Street, a Victorian age mouse private detective who emulates Sherlock Holmes...
and illustrated by Paul Galdone
Paul Galdone
Paul Galdone was a children's literature author and illustrator. He was born in Budapest and he emigrated to the United States in 1921. He studied art at the Art Student's League and New York School for Industrial Design...
.
Anatole is a mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
who lives in an un-named 'mouse village' outside the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
city of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, commuting by bicycle who was foraging for food when he overheard some humans complaining about mice as villainous. Deeply aggrieved at the insult to his honor, Anatole resolved to do better.
To do so, he goes to work in a French cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
factory as a taster and evaluator of the factory's product. Working alone and anonymously late at night, he leaves notes to guide the cheesemakers in their work. His taste for good cheese leads to the factory's commercial success and to his murine fame - to such an extent that Anatole is regularly hailed as a "mouse magnifique" by rodent contemporaries. The factory's human owners and workers also hold his work in high esteem, although they have no idea that the mysterious Anatole is a mouse, believing him simply an eccentric cheese connoisseur who prefers to work alone.
In these works the author, through the character of Anatole, consistently places emphasis on the dignity of work. Anotole lives in a conventional nuclear family, married to the beautiful and supportive Doucette and with six lovely children.
Two books in the series were nominated for the Caldecott Medal
Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children , a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year. The award was named in honor of nineteenth-century English...
: Anatole in 1957 and Anatole and the Cat in 1958, and were subsequently named Caldecott Honor books.
The stories have also been used for an animated television series
Anatole (TV series)
Anatole is an animated children's television series based on the Anatole book series by Eve Titus. The series tells the story of Anatole, a mouse who lives in Paris. He works as a night watchman in a cheese factory. He has a wife, Doucette and a family of six little mice. It originally aired in...
from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
studios and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's Alphanim
Alphanim
Alphanim was a French independent animation production and distribution company, founded in 1997, with a catalogue ranging from pre-school through teens and family properties...
. The 26-episode series originally aired on America's CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network in 1998 and was rerun on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
from 2001 until 2004. Previously in 1966, there was an animated segment based on the books for the cult film Alice of Wonderland in Paris
Alice of Wonderland in Paris
Alice of Wonderland in Paris is a 1966 U.S. animated film directed by Gene Deitch and produced by William L. Snyder.-Plot:Young Alice, having become a celebrity for her adventures in Wonderland, is in her bedroom dreaming about visiting Paris and sharing adventures with story book girl, Madeline...
.
Books
- Anatole
- Anatole and the Cat
- Anatole over Paris
- Anatole and the Piano
- Anatole and the Toyshop
- Anatole and the Robot
- Anatole and the Poodle
- Anatole and the Thirty Thieves
- Anatole and the Pied Piper
- Anatole in Italy