The third and final Goodwill find is Mouseton Abbey: The Missing Diamond. First, let me confess that I’ve never watched Downton Abbey, so the relation to it had nothing to do with why I picked this book up. What caught my eye were the adorable crocheted (?) mice that are our characters. Once I opened the book, I saw they were complimented by equally adorable rough-hewn illustrated backgrounds and charming writing. I can’t speak to whether anything’s a reference to the show or not, but the humor here works whether you’ve seen the show or not.
It’s a rather simple story of the search for, you guessed it, the missing diamond, which our main character, Lord Mouseton, has misplaced. In the process of searching everywhere, plenty of cute misadventures ensue. I feel like I’m just using various synonyms for “cute,” but my god, it’s so damned cute. This sort of style and humor is exactly what I go for, and I’d kill for an animated short or feature made out of this. I need more, darn it!
Did I mention that when they finally find the cheese diamond (yes, it’s made of cheese [or shaped like cheese?], of course), it’s even made to sparkle with some glitter?
What I’m trying to say with all of this is, whether you care about the show or not, give this book a chance because it’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever read and I demand a sequel! (Does a quick Google search to find out it’s a full series) Oh hell. If you need me, I’ll be seeking the other three out!
