Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse!

Every animal in the forest can have a home they love with the help of Ms. Mouse in this whimsical and educational book about design and architecture.

Henrietta is a world-famous architect, and the only mouse in the world who knows what makes a squirrel or a rabbit, a caterpillar or a frog feel at home. A dreamer, a designer, an artist, and a creator, Henrietta works at her drawing board to imagine the perfect home for each of her friends, be they woodland, water, subterranean or winged creatures.

With clever features, like a trapdoor for Mole or a telescope platform for Owl, and the ideal placement, like high in a pine for Squirrel or inside a pear for Caterpillar, Henrietta Mouse’s houses are both practical and beautiful—in short, ingenious!

George Mendoza’s Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse! is as inspiring today as when it was first published in 1981, and Doris Susan Smith’s illustrations of this hard-working female protagonist and her fantastical designs and architectural marvels will captivate young readers.

Publication History:Originally pub 1981

A poet, screenwriter, travel journalist, novelist, and writer of children’s books, George Mendoza (1934–2018) established himself as a top author of his day, publishing over 100 books for children and adults worldwide. In 1968, he was awarded the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for his book The Hunter I Might Have Been. Ahead of his time in terms of packaging projects, his phenomenal energy, talent, and imagination were reflected in his many collaborations with celebrities such as Carol Burnett and Michel Legrand, renowned artists like Eric Carle and Norman Rockwell, and sports figures including Muhammad Ali and Ivan Lendl. Mendoza's love for sailing and trout fishing may be found in his editions of poetry, including Goodbye, River, Goodbye with photographs by George A. Tice. He lived most of his life in New York City with his wife, Ruth, and his children, Ashley and Ryan.