Marty Moose: First Class Mischief

Marty Moose is a mouse and, in this eye-catching, graphic series-opener, he enthusiastically begins his new job delivering post to all of his animal neighbours.

When he was born, a splodge of ink meant that Marty Mouse was mistakenly registered as Marty Moose. Such a mistake is not surprising given the lively, chaotic nature of Marty’s family mouse hole. With such a large number of brothers and sisters, leading such busy lives, it is hard for Marty to make himself heard. His loving Dad makes Marty thoughtful meals but forgets how much he hates stilton, and, even when Marty makes his own snacks, they are snaffled by one of his older, hungrier brothers.

His new role at the postal service is a brilliant opportunity for Marty to strike out for some independence and to adventure beyond his frenetic home. He is not the first member of the family to take on such a role, and he is hopeful that, one day, he can become as impressive a post mouse as his famous Great Aunt Ada, who inspires Marty to remember that he can be just as brave as all the other animals, despite his size.

Sadly for Marty, the delivery service is much harder than he was expecting, and some of his new colleagues are less than pleased to see him – eager to avoid any competition for the coveted employee-of-the-month slot.

For his first delivery, he is charged with travelling deep into a maze of burrows, and he soon finds himself helplessly lost. Fortunately, he bumps into a totally doolally rabbit called Nibbles, who has limitless enthusiasm, a trumpet in her tail, and an inexplicable hatred of potatoes.

Nibbles has a number of irritating habits: she does not handle the post with care, and she calls Marty charmless names like Mousy Moomoo or Farty Moose. However, she is relentlessly positive and fun-seeking and she successfully guides Marty through the burrows. With his helpful new companion hopping by his side, Marty is ready to take on the next deliveries. Unfortunately, though, the next address to visit is even worse…Marty’s first day does not get any easier!

Marty is a very endearing companion for young readers. He squeaks endearing proclamations like ‘Flummoxing fluffballs,’ ‘Pongy puddles,’ and ‘Walloping whistles,’ that show his stoic and cheery attitude, and he is determined to complete his tasks, no matter how challenging.

His most difficult mission of all is the swampy dwelling of two hideous, curmudgeonly toads, whose violent and foul-mouthed domestic dispute is reminiscent of Dahl’s iconic Mr and Mrs Twit. A hilariously flatulent pheasant adds further comedy to an otherwise modest number of characters, with Nibbles and Marty playing out a two-hander for much of the story.

The book’s finest quality is Powell’s gorgeous, original illustrations, which dominate every page. The exclusively red and black palette is striking and every picture is bursting with action and energy, brilliantly bringing the terrible toads and farting pheasants to life with enough detail to entice children back to repeated readings. Though it is a simple story, this opening episode offers enough fun and friendliness to suggest that Marty Moose may have more deliveries to make in the future.