The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse by Thornton W. Burgess

The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse Reviews

• 
  Karin

  My 7 yr old gave these books a 5. I agree. "His books are awesome' she says.I liked the way morals were told in an entertaining way. I bet my daughter didn't feel she was being moralized at because she wanted to hear the whole book. I've tried others that had a distinct 'moral' or 'value' and she hates it.(Books that go ... is thankful or ... learns to be honest. blah.
  
  Burgess books are interesting entertaining and a good read. Hopefully the little lessons learned by the animals were also learned and put away in the back of my daughter's mind!
  
  But if not, that's ok. A book is meant to entertain and if it did that, that works for me.
  
  They are a little 'old-fashioned' meaning the sun is called: Mr. round red jolly sun, the wind is Old Mother West Wind, a breeze is One of Mother West Wind's Children, the Merry Little Breezes etc. Quaint and not exactly science but endearing nonetheless. But other than that these books are science in story form. The stories are about real life things that frogs or bears or skunks do or could do. Unlike most books with animals as main characters where they learn to ride bikes, win the spelling bee at school etc. Beginning animal lore for young children. Or budding animal lovers.
  
  If you miss any of these from your local library they are also on Gutenberg's free books site.
  
  Personally I think that these should be re-released with new covers so kids will read them again.
  
  The books themselves:
  
  Danny Meadow Mouse: Danny gets upset because he has a short tail. He also gets caught by Hooty the Owl, who wants him for dinner.
  
  Morals/ values/ lessons intertwined in the book: greed, anger, envy, kindness, friendship, look before you leap.
  
  
  Grandfather Frog: He decides it's time for him to see more of the world. A little risk keeps life exciting. He has some exciting adventures before discovering 'there's no place like home'.
  
  Morals/ values/ lessons intertwined in the book: greed, mischieviousness, thoughtlessness, patience.
  
  
  Buster Bear: Buster moves to the Green woods. This doesn't please the other animals because he takes 'their' fish, and they are frightened of him. But when the animals find out that Farmer Brown's Boy is afraid of Buster, they look at him with new eyes...until they find out the next personality trait Buster shows.
  
  Morals/ values/ lessons intertwined in the book: temper, new friends come to the neighborhood.
  
  
  Old Mother West Wind: A group of stories with Mother West Wind or her Little Breezes helping the animals of the Meadow and forest. A couple of 'how the xxx got/ lost zzz' stories also that were quite entertaining.
  
  Morals/ values/ lessons intertwined in the book: vanity, friendship, contentment, helpfulness.
  
  Old Man Coyote: Something is making a new sound in the Green Meadows/ Green Forest. The animals don't know what it could be. When it is discovered who has moved in, Granny Fox is determined to oust them from HER feeding grounds. Granny is in for a surprise because this stranger isn't easy to fool.
  
  Morals/ values/ lessons intertwined in the book: courage, resisting temptation, good planning.
  
  
• 
  Jonathan Marshall

  The Burgess Books
  
  This is a phrase that brings a smile to my face as often as I hear it. As a young child, I would lose myself for hours in the simple world of the wood and pond inhabited by Little Joe Otter, Buster Bear, Grandfather Frog, and terrorized by Farmer Brown's Boy. I can remember the very shelf, even the exact spot in the little library in Felton, CA where these books were kept. I would return practically every week with a new armload to last me until our next trip to the library. Often I would carry out stories that I read several times before, just so I could once again escape into this imaginary world of furry mischief.
  
  I remember these books well in concept, though the specifics of most of the stories elude me. It was easily fifteen years ago when I began reading them and has been over a decade since I last picked up one of Burguess' stories to read it. That being said, this review is being written as a look back.
  
  These stories are very simple and very fun. Of course, they are children's literature, so that's to be expected, but these stories strike me as especially so. Even still, I can remember some fascinating things I gleaned between the their covers.
  
  For one thing, Burgess did a fantastic job of presenting the ideas of persepective and motivation in simplistic terms. For example, "The Adventures of Danny Field Mouse" would cast Old Man Coyote as a vicious, mean creature wishing to prey on Danny and his friends and family. Yet, pick up instead "The Adventures of Old Man Coyote" and you'll see that when the story is told with him as the protagonist, those pesky field mice are annoying and useful for little more than a snack. After reading both books, you're no more inclined to think of Old Man Coyote as a villian than you are to think of Danny Field Mouse as a pest that should be exterminated. (Note: This is a generic example. I do not recall if Old Man Coyote plays a role in Danny Field Mouse's story or the other way around, but this concept was presented several times. It made an impression on me.)
  
  The only characters consistantly presented as antagonists were Farmer Brown and his boy. This would be one of the only things that I chalk up as odd, or maybe just a little "off" in these books. Humans and their influence on nature are presented as a negative influence on nature and animals - always. It's interesting to note though that while humans are seen as a negative, humanity is lauded and held up as virtuous. All of the animals take on not only human personalities but characteristics, traits, and mannerisms. From a frog with a monocle and an otter with a handkerchief tied to a stick, to a busy-body Jay and a reclusive owl who desires only to be left alone, humanity and it's traits keep cropping up.
  
  Which would be another thing of value I feel that I saw in the Burgess books. These stories are full of social interaction and personality conflicts, even if they are charicatured more often than not. We see over and over again a working out of peace, if not harmony, between conflicting personalities. It may not always be easy to point out a scripture to reinforce the lesson implied, but social harmony is presented and more often than not, resolution is through reconciliation, forgiveness, or a similar method that is not only laudable, but distinctly Christian in action if not motivation.
  
  All in all, the world created by Thornton W. Burgess is imaginative, innocent, fun, and educational. My reccomendation? Grab a handful from your local library, gather a group of kids as an excuse, and lose yourselves in childhood imaginations as you read aloud the stories that have captivated several generations of young readers with the antics of our furry, albiet elusively human, friends.
  
  (Disclaimers: As I said, it has been over a decade since I actually read one of Burgess' books. As such, there may be a specific example that's a little off in this review or something that I would have noticed as an adult that my childhood memories are missing. Also, all of these books say I read them in 1998. While I'm certain I read several of them that year, I'm sure I read some before and after that date as well.)
• 
  Noella

  Weer een kinderboekje uit de serie. Deze keer gaat het over Danny de veldmuis, die vele avonturen beleeft, en moet zien te ontsnappen aan de vossen, de uil en de havik. Ook zijn vriendje Peter Rabbit komt in een hachelijke situatie terecht.
• 
  Ada Tarcau

  Ediția românească este sub titlul: Aventurile lui Danny, șoricelul de câmp.
  Această poveste pe capitole scurte, integrata în lumea animală a lui Throton Burgess i-a prins pe ambii băieți (mai ales pe cel de 5 ani dar și pe cel de 7).
  Oferă câte ceva din variate bunătăți: aventură, cunoștințe despre comportamente ale animalelor pădurii/câmpului, lecții de caracter (fără a fi prea moralizatoare). Conține pe alocuri și morala în rime simpatice (ușor pierdute în traducere).
• 
  Jon E

  I liked the part when Hooty the Owl grabbed onto Danny Meadow Mouse and Danny Meadow Mouse was struggling in Hooty the Owl's sharp claws.
• 
  Markus

  I read this series when I was in Elementary school and back then I thought they were Shakespeare. I recently found these on Librivox and decided to download this one to my mp3 player. It was a dramatized version and I remembered nothing of the stories' plots at all, other than knowing they were about talking animals.
  
  The characters are cute, and the format is perfect for bedtime stories, imagining someone reading a chapter a night. The repeat plot points from chapter to chapter so I'm sure that was the intention. They are a little moralizing, but not so much to distract from the story. The author foreshadows in a way that I knew exactly what would happen next.
  
  Still I doubt I'll take another one just for myself as an adult. Most of my 'reading' seems to be audiobooks these days so we'll see.
• 
  Emily

  This is a book I read aloud as part of HOD curriculum with my little 6 year old. I love how Burgess stays so true to nature in the animal behaviors, struggles, and escapades! A cute chapter book with lots of good little lessons and morals! Sometimes can be a little cumbersome with so many details but overall great kids literature!
• 
  Katja H. Labonté

  3 stars & 3/10 hearts. This is a good little book with some excellent little lessons. It’s funny and easy to read, and with only a couple references of Old Mother Nature.
  
  A Favourite Quote: “...singing is nothing in the world but happiness in the heart making itself heard.”
• 
  Latisha Dashno

  Cute story! Great read aloud with children! I read with my 6 year old son and he loved it. He didn't want to stop because he just had to know what happened next. The suspense is great. We have also read the adventures of Reddy fox which is part of this series!!!
• 
  Ruth

  These little books are nostalgic for me, as they were read to us in country school. The author created simple adventures for each featured animal. Burgess taught his readers by accurately presenting the habits of the animals.
• 
  Amy Ingalls

  These books are charming. Of course, Thornton Burgess is from my area (my children actually went to Thornton Burgess School) so I have a soft spot for his books.
• 
  Diana

  My kids and I love these books. The stories are engaging and an enjoyable way to learn about animals. We read it aloud and the kids kept begging for another chapter!
• 
  Rachel

  Cute story to read aloud. It had enough suspense to keep the kids and I interested.
• 
  Jody

  This was my favorite Burgess book. The part where Danny runs through his tunnels in the snow was epic, or so my child mind thought. Every child should read these books.
• 
  Holly Miniea

  Read for Gabriella's 1st grade reading.
• 
  Heidi Dages

  A darling story with adventure and a very cute friendship <3 <3 <3
• 
  Deevena Jemima

  Loved it.
• 
  NuNu

  Reread
• 
  Diana Lee

  Really good bedtime stories
• 
  Kathryn Chipchase

  My 4 year sat through it in one sitting, even though there are hardly any pictures. Pretty good story
• 
  Forked Radish

  Danny Meadow Mouse is actually a %#$& vole!
• 
  Chrisanne

  This book series is now non-existent in my library. And that's a pity. They are lovely, educational books that help awaken a sense of awareness in children of the nature and environment that surrounds them. I remember trips to my grandmother's house and laying out in her yard looking for birds, small mammals, etc. And I knew what to look for because Burgess gives you a great description of their appearance.
  
  They're also a nice transitional set of books---good for intermediate readers but are also attractive to MG readers.
• 
  Jesse Baggs

  There’s something horrible about these anthropomorphic animals trying to eat each other. Sure, you don’t want Danny Meadow Mouse to die, but you don��t want Reddy Fox and his grandmother to starve, either. That’s the power of Burgess’s books: not in his moralizing, or Harrison Cady’s cute illustrations. It’s in imagining yourself a sweet little meadow mouse running across a soft snowy field around Christmastime, only to be speared to the ground by the shriek of an owl, an owl who wears a top hat and vest.
• 
  Jimyanni

  The Thornton Burgess series in general is quite an endearing series of children's books, which do a fine job of being readable by young readers and having interesting plots and introducing young people to a variety of animals in a semi-anthropomorphized way. This particular entry, "The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse" is one of the best of the lot, and it's a delightful read for a youngster, or for an older person who is willing to be a child again for the hour or so that it would take to read it.
• 
  Katy

  I read this to the kids this summer. All of the books by Burgess are wonderful. Filled with moral lessons, wonderful songs and poetry. They are so fun to read aloud. My children loved this one because there were at least 5 different characters involved in the same conversations. I change my voice for each characters and they just love that.
  
• 
  Mckinley

  There's a series of stories each focusing on a different animal in the forest. This one is (mostly) about a mouse; there's a lot of running around to escape from predators. I liked it less than the others. Read the series to get the perspective for different animals. Fun to read aloud for up to 8 years old I think.
• 
  Tim

  Superb book to read at bedtime (to children 3 & 5). Chapters are just the right length. Often we read two back to back because they are so short. But we also regularly had to read two back to back because the story gripped us so much! Peppered with complex characters, good lessons amidst simple plots and very readable text. My American accent needs work though!!