The Secret of the Ginger Mice

First published in Australia, this first book in the Song of the Winns trilogy delivers a winning adventure in the mouse-story genre. When 12-year-old triplet Alistair, a mouse with ginger-colored fur, disappears from his house and lands unexpectedly in another country on top of Tibby Rose, a mouse who shares his unusual coloring, they embark on a search for his home while Alistair’s siblings, Alex and Alice, sneak away to look for him. Watts effectively infuses these alternating twin journeys with suspense as the heroes meet circus mice, double-crossing secret agents, owls, and pirates. Along the way, they uncover the significance (and danger) of their ginger fur. Though colorful, the supporting characters are less developed than the protagonists. Readers will be thankful for the map of the region, as the geography feels somewhat jumbled; each chapter opens with a small, delicately inked piece of spot art from Francis. An intriguing thread about a secret resistance movement, clues about the mice’s respective parents, and other questions left unanswered pave the way for the subsequent books. Ages 8–12. (May)