THE TRUE STORY OF A MOUSE WHO NEVER ASKED FOR IT

A traditional folktale is reworked into a feminist parable.

In this translated work from Spain, Herreros tells the story of a “very neat and very hardworking” white mouse who builds herself a house. Seeing that she is unmarried and a homeowner, various animals aggressively pursue her until she finally agrees to marry the kitten, who “seemed the most defenseless.” Her kitten-husband becomes increasingly predatory, emotionally and physically abusing her until, finally, “he ate her all up.” A powerful wordless finale of double-page, full-bleed spreads shows a brown-skinned, black-haired woman in a white dress cleaning up and moving on from the aftermath of a violent disturbance in her apartment. Deceptively simple, midcentury-style illustrations use a muted color palette of red, blue, gray, beige, white, and black to focus on the details of domestic objects before widening the lens to the bigger picture. A QR code allows readers to visit a website where they may read the Balearic original and some contextual notes. Without gaining this familiarity with the source material and its cultural connotations, readers may be confused or frustrated by the book’s metaphor, including unpacking what it means to ask for it, the text’s emphasis on the protagonist’s virtuous cleanliness and tidiness, and the choice to illustrate the mouse as paper-white, which risks perpetuating whiteness as a symbol of purity and goodness.

An unusual title useful for college classrooms or as a niche gift.