Anonymouse

This is a charming story of a little girl named Katherine, who deep-down inside is wanting to have a best friend. She enjoys school, making friends there, and playing outside on the swings, teeter totter and slides. She has her best friend Jane with whom she would play with, walk to school with sometimes even holding hands, and often would look a lot alike by wearing the same color clothes, or having their hair the same. They seemed to have a wonderful connection; even many people thought they were sisters because they would be together so often – which made the girls giggle.

Old mister Wright would wave to the girls as they walked by his house. He had a cute little white mouse with big eyes and a pink nose, often making himself comfortable sitting on Mr. Wright’s shoulder. His name was Anonymouse. One day a piece of paper appeared next to Katherine which said, “All of your wishes will come true,” signed Anonymouse. Wondering about the meaning of this event Katherine gave it some thought, but soon the wondering passed and she forgot about the note.

The story then goes on, as a bit of a flashback, about the day Katherine wishing she had a best friend, notices a family moving into a house down the street. And low and behold the girl in the new family turned out to be Jane. How did Anonymouse know the future?

Anonymouse and The Secret Wish brings the morals of friendship, hope and happiness to children with a twist – that is having this cute little mouse having the wisdom and foresight to predict the future. Author Chuck Wiffle has created a story with comforting family values and dreams from the point of view of a little girl wishing to have a very special friend. This is a common thought many readers or listeners of this story will share, and the happy ending will be enjoyed by all.

With interleaving full-page illustrations artfully bringing the story to life, a tale of a lovely little girl in an ideal community, plus the mystery of the personified mouse, Anonymouse and The Secret Wish will entertain all with what just may be the first of other adventures of this little, wise and mystical mouse.

- Pacific Book Review

"For as long as they could remember, he had always lived in that house, just him and his pet, a cute little mouse with bright eyes and a pink nose."

Katherine lives with her parents and her sister Joany. She has a friend named Jane with whom she attends school and who has a habit of dressing like Katherine without intending to. Katherine suspects she and Jane are kindred spirits because they have so much in common. Each morning on their way to school, they pass Mr. Wright, who has a pet mouse that sits on his shoulder and seems to wave at them. In flashback, the reader learns that shortly before Jane moved into the house down the street, Katherine received a note blown on the wind promising her that “all of your wishes will come true.” The message was signed “Anonymouse.” It’s hinted that Mr. Wright’s mouse wrote the note.

The book does an adequate job of introducing the reader to the heroine and making her sympathetic. Katherine’s struggles with loneliness and desire for companionship are likely to resonate with younger readers. The book features some intriguing narrative choices. For example, some pages contain very little text, while others have almost as much as the rest of the book combined. What’s more, the story begins with the central dilemma—Katherine’s earlier need for a new friend—but then flashes back to the year before and shows how the problem was resolved in the past. There is also an air of mystery maintained throughout, especially as the presence of the mouse and the anonymous note raise questions left unanswered. This thoroughly charming tale of two girls who are playmates and a neighbor with a strange pet may appeal to young girls especially.

- The US Review of Books