Book Preview: The Mouse Watch

I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.


The Mouse Watch by J.J. Gilbert
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Ages: 8-12
Release Date: 26 May 2020

This book follows Bernie who longs to be a member of the Mouse Watch, a secret organization headed up by the legendary inventor Gadget Hackwrench (of Rescue Rangers fame). Bernie is small, but brave. Eventually she is recruited and joins fellow new recruit Jarvis to begin training. But Jarvis is a rat and Bernie does not trust him.

Day 1 of their training though begins rough as members of R.A.T.S . finally begin their biggest steps to take over the world from the humans. Can their bravery and smarts help them save the day?


My thoughts (and some spoilers, so beware):

Overall, this book will have some fabulous appeal for kids, so I do recommend it for general purchase. Plus a Disney show tie-in is never a bad thing.

There is a great sense of adventure throughout and some definite peril and real stakes at play. And the overcoming challenges side will definitely pull in some readers.

There are also some good themes of trust throughout: Bernie's parents who must trust her to go off by herself, Bernie's trust in herself that she is brave enough, Bernie deciding who to trust in the Mouse Watch.

My main issue with this book: topic of animal testing.

The main villain is Doctor Thornpaw. A rodent who is described as "more monster than mouse and more robot than rat". Thornpaw is the result of animal testing and now has motorized metal arms and legs and no reservations about destroying humans. It's hard to not feel somewhat sympathetic to his hatred of people given what he says he has been through. But I feel like the subject of animal testing is really glossed over in the text. It is mentioned as they introduce his character in Chapter 1 and again it is revisited toward the end of the story as he monologues to Bernie. My issue is that I feel like the Mouse Watch would at least mention some kind of sympathy towards him for what he has endured that his turned him into a monster. And wouldn't this be something that they might try to champion to put an end to?

That's my two-cents on that, but this is coming from an animal-loving vegetarian, so others might not remotely see this the same way.

But I do consider this a good purchase option.