This week marks the start of the school Easter holidays in Staffordshire. The Birthplace Museum would ordinarily be full of families and young visitors, enjoying the house and our activities, and beginning an association with Johnson which we hope will travel with them throughout their lives. Sadly, we are closed this Easter but we are continuing to inspire our young audiences with activities at home. We also thought it made the perfect opportunity to share this fun post about an unexpected appearance of Samuel Johnson in a recent children’s book:
The Adventures of Ben the Mouse
Lichfield forms the backdrop to a new series of children’s books by Andy Coltart, a Liverpool-based author and artist. Andy has written and illustrated The Adventures of Ben the Mouse, two books of which have so far been published.
Ben the mouse lives in a bungalow in Lichfield; the books recount his adventures with his friends Louis the field mouse and Haggis the hamster. They start with the discovery of a magic ring, which can take them anywhere they wish to go; their exploits include visiting the strange land of the Urgle Gurgles, cheering up a lonely giant and rescuing a baby dragon.
What is the connection between these stories and Samuel Johnson? First, the magic ring turns out to be a gift from the Golden Willow Tree (see picture), which is better known to Johnsonians as Johnson’s Willow; in these stories, however, the Willow is not only sentient, but also capable of disappearing and reappearing in different locations! In Book Two of the series, Ben and his friends finally track the Willow down, and learn that the magic ring has even greater power than they thought …
Another Johnsonian connection is that, in Book Two, Ben, Louis and Haggis help a local farmer round up some farm animals which have run riot in the streets of Lichfield: these include a number of sheep, one of which takes refuge behind the Johnson statue in the Market Square (see picture). Finally, feline-loving Johnsonians will be gratified to learn that the family cat who also lives in Ben’s bungalow goes by the name of Hodge!
Both books of The Adventures of Ben the Mouse can be ordered online for more information visit Andy’s website at: https://www.benthemouse.com/.
With thanks to John Winterton from the Johnson Society for sharing this charming post with us. Find out more about Johnson’s Willow on the Johnson Society Website