I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I really liked all of the illustrations for Edison, but some of the wording was weird. I was under the impression that this was a children's book, so saying things like "When I was young, I also went off on crazy adventures, risking life and limb like an idiot" seemed inappropriate. It wouldn't have taken much to phrase that a little differently.

This is another book that didn't flow well. It was almost like reading an old telegram. Words words words STOP words words STOP words... I felt like I kept having to stop and start again within the story. Some of their mousey comments didn't make sense either.

I liked the idea of mice being just as intelligent and independent as people. It made me think of the movie The Borrowers, but with rodents. They have homes, schools, can weld and invent -- one even went to the moon. It was an interesting story about using your brain to come up with a scientific solution to a problem. Trial and error, drawing out plans, researching, hypothesizing -- all of this was a great way to incorporate science into a children's story.

Wonderful book, although I wish it had been presented and worded just a tad differently.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on August 9, 2018. ( )

When an eager young mouse named Pete approaches the learned old professor who teaches science at the University of Mice, sharing an incredible tale of his ancestor's trans-Atlantic voyage and of his lost treasure, the old gentleman at first doesn't wish to get involved. But he soon realizes that, like himself at that age, Pete is a born inventor and adventurer, and won't give up in his efforts to get to the bottom of the ocean and retrieve the treasure. Soon the pair are making plans, and diving into the depths. But will the treasure be what they expected...?

Originally published in German as Edison: Das Rätsel des verschollenen Mäuseschatzes, this delightful tale of murine adventure and can-do is the fourth picture-book I have read from talented author/illustrator Torben Kuhlmann. Every bit as enjoyable as its predecessors, it pairs an engaging adventure story with gorgeous artwork. Kuhlmann's narrative once again shows a mouse leading the way (with humans coming in second), while his illustrations are simply beautiful, with a luminous quality that grabs the eye. I was pleased to see that the professor here is actually Armstrong, the space-faring mouse from Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon. That was a nice touch! I was also pleased with the afterword, which gives a history of scientific endeavor, when it comes to electric lighting. I appreciated that Kuhlmann showed the many inventors who came before Edison. Recommended to young readers who enjoy animals fiction, and to anyone who (like me) enjoys Kuhlmann's artwork. ( )

Edison by Torben Kuhlmann follows Pete and the Professor as they decide to search for the missing treasure of Pete's ancestor. Their investigation determines the location of the ship that sank carrying the treasure. Pete decides he is going to find a way to get the treasure. The Professor declines helping until he rescues Pete from nearly drowning trying out ideas for a diving bell. With the Professor's greater wisdom and knowledge, the pair end up designing and building a submersible. When they are final able to retrieve the treasure, it's not at all what they expect, and Pete learns just how talented his ancestor really was. Oh, yeah… and did I mention Pete and the Professor are adorable mice?

This is a gorgeous picture book for advanced elementary age children. There's a substantial amount of text, and more complicated words than younger readers could handle alone. Parts of the story are told through art alone. This is apparently not the first in this 'series’. I really want to get them all in a hardcopy format! The art is simply stunning, and the story is great! At the end, there is a section about Edison, and the history of lighting, some of which was new to me.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and North South Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )

I received this e-book ARC through Net Galley from North-South Books Inc. in exchange for a truthful review.
Fun and educational adventure story featuring two mice scientists/explorers working to discover a treasure lost by an ancestor of the younger mouse.
I love this type of picture book for children (and adults). The accompanying illustrations by the author Torben Kuhlmann are so beautifully colored and intricately detailed that one could spend lots of time just losing oneself in the details. Absolutely lovely! Definitely not a picture book to breeze through. I would buy this book just to frame the illustrations.
A short history of Thomas A. Edison and other inventors who worked on inventing electric light bulbs completes the learning adventure for the reader.
This book takes place in the same mouse explorer universe as the author's other two gorgeous picture books, Lindbergh:The Tale of a Flying Mouse and Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon. ( )

Independent Reading level 5-8
Awards Mildred L. Batchelder Award 2019