Mr. C.J. Mouse

Mr. C.J. Mouse was the inspiration for many of Kathleen Rose Van Pelt's art pieces (http://www.imaginarylinesstudio.com/). In this second of a three-part interview with Bryony's illustrator, Van Pelt shares the story behind the creature she immortalized with her fantasy lines.

1) Many of your drawings feature an adorable little mouse. Who is he?

"Oh, Sweet little Mr. Mouse. Guess mouse and little is rather redundant. Mr. C. J. Mouse has gone on to mouse heaven now, but well remembered and loved.

"I found Mr. Mouse one fall afternoon when I was raking up the fall leaves in the back of the house. I found a mouse that was dead and stopped to bury the mouse. When I came back, I found another very tiny mouse, and thought I would be digging another little hole, but the tiny mouse stirred when I placed him in my hand. My hand must have warmed him up enough to move a bit. He had himself tightly wrapped around a small white oak acorn.

"Wasn't sure what to do with him; at first I placed him in the garage, so he would be out of the wind, put some birdseed and water next to him. Checked on him a few time, then realized he was not a tiny field mouse, but a baby that had not even opened his eyes yet.

"Having a house full of cats, bringing the mouse inside was not my first thought, but went looking for and old aquarium I know I had put away from when my husband had a pet garter snake. Well, to make a long story short. The baby mouse did very well being nursed back to good health. He lived a long and happy deer mouse life. Since he thought I was his mom, we enjoyed each other's company. C. J. Mouse was a very sweet cute brave little mouse."