The Rescuers by Margery Sharp offers fun, old-fashioned storytelling that bears little resemblance to the Disney movie.
The Rescuers by Margery Sharp, illustrated by Garth Williams. New York Review Books, 2016 (re-issue). 160 pages.
- Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-12
- Recommended For: ages 6 and up
I can sing every word of the songs from the animated Rescuers movie—truly, one of the classics of its genre. So, it was with delight that I discovered a few years ago that it was a book first! Imagine my added interest when I realized that Garth Williams was the illustrator (he did Charlotte’s Web and The Little House books).
Like the Disney cartoon, the book is about two mice named Bernard and Bianca who rescue someone. And there the similarity ends. Disney’s animated version did a good job of portraying Bernard’s and Bianca’s characters, but it completely made up every last little bit of detail and plot for the movie. You might say that the movie was “suggested” by the book.
Although I adore the movie, the book is also delightful and worth reading (of course! Books are nearly always superior to the movie, aren’t they?). Bernard and Bianca team up with another mouse named Nils and they attempt to rescue a Norwegian poet who’s been imprisoned in the formidable black castle. Each member of their brave team contributes valuable service in their quest. All comes right in the end, but there is a part of the ending I didn’t see coming….
Like most older children’s novels, The Rescuers moves a bit more slowly than contemporary stories. It’s a terrific option for an advanced child reader and/or those who enjoy old-fashioned animal fantasies (perhaps as a read aloud if the child can’t read the book on his or her own). It’s the kind of book I would have thoroughly enjoyed reading on my own as a child.
Considerations: none
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
- Literary/Artistic Rating: 4
- Worldview Rating: 4
Read more about our ratings here.
Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader
- Book Review: The Church Mice by Graham Oakley: a beloved favorite!
- Resource: Browse our other “retro reads”!
- Resource: Our Favorite Mice: A Book List
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The plot of the Rescuers movie actually does have a bit in common with the book’s sequel, Miss Bianca, though still not much.
IMO, the book series started out wonderfully with the first three or four books being great but went downhill from there with increasingly forced and anticlimactic plotlines. Apparently, it was one of those instances where the author wanted to end things, but fans kept wanting more. Still, those initial three or four books were pretty great, and I do wish more people would read them.
I remember my Mom reading this one to us when we were little. I’ve never seen the movie but we also read this one aloud to our own children, and hopefully we will someday read it to our grandchildren. An enduring children’s classic that I hope will not go out of print! Thank you for bringing this one back in the limelight.