Babymouse

Babymouse
Created by	Matthew Holm (illustrator) Jennifer L. Holm (writer)
Owner	Random House
Print publications
Book(s)	Books list
Official website
randomhouse.com/kids/babymouse (Internet Archive) www.babymouse.com (current)

Babymouse is an American graphic novel series created by American authors Matthew Holm and Jennifer L. Holm. ^[1] The series follows the titular character Babymouse as she navigates the hardships of elementary school. ^[2]

As of 2024, the main series consists of twenty entries, ^[3] as well as five entries in the spinoff series Tales From The Locker, ^[4] which follows Babymouse as she enters middle school, ^[5] and The BIG Adventures of BabyMouse, ^[6] another spinoff series featuring full-color print and a larger page size compared to the previous entries. Additionally, a picture book titled Little Babymouse and the Christmas Cupcakes, ^[7] which was also the first entry in the series to feature full-color print, is aimed at younger readers. Squish is a spinoff series featuring Babymouse's science fair project, an anthropomorphic amoeba. ^[8]

Babymouse has sold over three million copies, ^[3] receiving praise from critics and readers alike for its humour and visual style. ^{[9] [10]}

Background

The first entry in the Babymouse series was finished in 2001, illustrated by Matthew Holm and written by his sister, Jennifer L. Holm. The book was not picked up by publishers for almost two years due to a lack of interest in the character. Eventually, the manuscript was sold to Random House in 2003, and the book was published in 2005. ^[9]

The initial idea for Babymouse was conceived when Jennifer was having a "typical Babymouse kind of day". ^[11] While sitting in her kitchen, the image of a grumpy mouse with big whiskers and hands on her hips appeared in Jennifer's mind, leading her to scribble it onto a napkin. When she saw her brother again, she showed him the drawing and they decided to create a book series together using the character. ^{[9] [12] [11]}

The reason they decided on a graphic novel format was because they believed comic books had shifted to an adult audience, and they wanted to create a comic book that would become popular with children that featured an easily relatable character. ^[11] The series is aimed at girls because as a child, Jennifer felt that comic books were mostly aimed at a male audience and she couldn't relate to the characters. ^[9]

In 2010, a Babymouse animated series was reportedly in the works, but never released. ^[13]

Books

1. Queen of the World! (2005)
2. Our Hero (2005)
3. Beach Babe (2006)
4. Rock Star (2006)
5. Heartbreaker (2006)
6. Camp Babymouse (2007)
7. Skater Girl (2007)
8. Puppy Love (2007)
9. Monster Mash (2008)
10. Babymouse: The Musical (2009)
11. Dragonslayer (2009) ^[14]
12. Babymouse Burns Rubber (2010)
13. Cupcake Tycoon (2010)
14. Mad Scientist (2011)
15. A Very Babymouse Christmas (2011)
16. Babymouse for President (2012)
17. Extreme Babymouse (2013) ^[15]
18. Happy Birthday, Babymouse (2014)
19. Bad Babysitter (2015)
20. Babymouse Goes for the Gold (2016)

Tales From The Locker

1. Lights, Camera, Middle School! (2017) ^[16]
2. Miss Communication (2018)
3. School-Tripped (2019)
4. Curtain Call (2020)
5. Whisker Wizard (2021)

The BIG Adventures of BabyMouse

• Once Upon a Messy Whisker (2022)
• Besties! (2023)

Other books

• Babymouse Collection Books 1-13 (2010)
• Little Babymouse and the Christmas Cupcakes (2016) ^[17]

Characters

• Babymouse is the main character and titular protagonist of the series. She has an active imagination and prefers to spend her time absorbed in books. Messy and disorganized, she is often late for class.
• Narrator is the main narrator of the series. He sardonically comments on Babymouse's life, with her regularly interacting with him.
• Locker is humourously depicted as sentient, often eating Babymouse's homework or teasing her.
• Felicia Furrypaws is the main antagonist of the series. She is popular yet rude, egocentric, and manipulative.
• Wilson Weasel is Babymouse's long-time best friend since kindergarten.
• Squeak is Babymouse's pesky younger brother.
• Georgie is a tall giraffe and friend of Babymouse.

Achievements

Awards and honors

Year	Title	Award	Category	Result	Ref.
2006	Babymouse: Queen of the World!	ALA Notable Children's Book Award	Middle Readers	Won	[18]
2006	Babymouse: Beach Babe	Cybils Award	Graphic novel, elementary and middle grade	Nominated	[19]
2006	Babymouse: Beach Babe	Gryphon Award	Honor Books		[20]
2007	Camp Babymouse	Cybils Award	Graphic novel, elementary and middle grade		[21]
2010	Babymouse: The Musical	Lulu Award	Leah Adezio Award for Best Kid-Friendly Work		[22]
2010	Babymouse: Dragonslayer	Lulu Award	Leah Adezio Award for Best Kid-Friendly Work	Nominated	[22]
2013	Babymouse for President	2013 Eisner Award	Best Publication for Early Readers	Won	[23]
2015	Happy Birthday, Babymouse	Children's Choice Book Award	Third to Fourth Grade Book of The Year	Nominated	[24]

References

1. "Babymouse Series". Common Sense Media. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
2. Brianna (August 11, 2011). "Review: Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm". slatebreakers. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
3. "Babymouse Series". Random House. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
4. "Babymouse Tales from the Locker Series". Random House. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
5. Lodge, Sally (June 29, 2017). "Q & A with Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved December 30, 2024.
6. "The BIG Adventures of BabyMouse Series". Random House. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
7. "Little Babymouse and the Christmas Cupcakes". Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
8. "Science Fair Comics (Published 2011)". May 13, 2011. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
9. "Children's Corner: 'Babymouse' is a superhero kids can identify with". Post Gazette. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
10. "Using Graphic Novels in Education: Babymouse". Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
11. "Matt & Jenni Holm - ReadKiddoRead". October 24, 2011. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
12. "The true story of how Babymouse was born | Reading Rockets". www.readingrockets.org. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
13. Baker, Jeff (February 18, 2010). "Babymouse turns into a career for Matthew Holm". Oregon Live . Retrieved December 30, 2024.
14. "Review: Babymouse: Dragonslayer by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm". Slate Breakers. June 14, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
15. "EXTREME BABYMOUSE". 2025-02-01. November 17, 2012 – via Kirkus Reviews.
16. "Lights, Camera, Middle School! by Jennifer L. Holm". Publishers Weekly . June 26, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
17. "Little Babymouse and the Christmas Cupcakes by Jennifer L. Holm". Publishers Weekly . September 26, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
18. "2006 Notable Books Announced". American Library Association . Retrieved January 1, 2025.
19. "2006 Cybils Finalists". Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
20. "Gryphon Award Archive | Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books" . Retrieved January 1, 2025.
21. "2007 Cybils Finalists". Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
22. MacDonald, Heidi (September 14, 2010). "2010 Lulu Award nominees announced". The Beat. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
23. Esposito, Joey (April 16, 2013). "The 2013 Eisner Award Nominees". IGN. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
24. "2015 Winners and Finalists". www.cbcbooks.org. Retrieved December 30, 2024.