The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Encyclopedia
The Mouse and the Motorcycle is a children's novel written by Beverly Cleary
and published in 1965.
Keith discovers his missing motorcycle in the wastebasket along with Ralph and the two strike a friendship. Although Ralph's mother worries that he is in contact with humans, Keith shows Ralph how to start the motorcycle--make an engine-like noise--and lets Ralph ride it during the nighttime. While Keith and his family explore California, Ralph recklessly rides the motorcycle through the depths of the hotel. One night he is spotted by Keith's mother, who tells the management, resulting in a war on mice. Ralph and the motorcycle are almost sucked up by a maid's vacuum cleaner, but Ralph escapes, riding into a pile of dirty bedsheets. He escapes by chewing holes in the sheets, but, unfortunately, he must leave the motorcycle behind.
After Ralph loses the motorcycle Keith loses trust in him, although he still brings the mice colony room service. One night Keith becomes very sick, and to regain Keith's trust, Ralph searches the hotel for an aspirin tablet, at risk to himself, for the medicine could prove fatal to a small mouse if ingested. His adventures include venturing outside the hotel, being trapped by guests, being chased by a nosy dog, and hatching a plan of adventure which involves a toy ambulance and the elevator. When Ralph succeeds, Keith's health is restored. He agrees to let Ralph keep the motorcycle, which is found by the bellboy, after he leaves, and Ralph uses the space under the TV set in the lobby to use as a garage; the motorcycle is his to keep.
Children's Book Club - Intermediate Division.
produced an adaptation of The Mouse and the Motorcycle directed by Ron Underwood
in 1986. The film was distributed by Strand Home Video
, ABC Video
and Golden Book Video
under the "GoldenVision" label.
Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary is an American author. Educated at colleges in California and Washington, she worked as a librarian before writing children's books. Cleary has written more than 30 books for young adults and children. Some of her best-known characters are Henry Huggins, Ribsy, Beatrice Quimby, her...
and published in 1965.
Plot summary
Ralph is a mouse who lives in the run-down Mountain View Inn, a battered resort hotel in the Sierra Nevada of California. Ralph longs for a life of danger and speed, wishing to get away from his relatives, who worry about the mice colony being discovered. One day a boy named Keith and his family visit the hotel on their way through California. Keith leaves a toy motorcycle on his bedside table, which interests Ralph. While Keith is away, Ralph attempts to ride it, but cannot figure out how to start it. Startled by a telephone ring, he and the motorcycle fall into a metal wastebasket.Keith discovers his missing motorcycle in the wastebasket along with Ralph and the two strike a friendship. Although Ralph's mother worries that he is in contact with humans, Keith shows Ralph how to start the motorcycle--make an engine-like noise--and lets Ralph ride it during the nighttime. While Keith and his family explore California, Ralph recklessly rides the motorcycle through the depths of the hotel. One night he is spotted by Keith's mother, who tells the management, resulting in a war on mice. Ralph and the motorcycle are almost sucked up by a maid's vacuum cleaner, but Ralph escapes, riding into a pile of dirty bedsheets. He escapes by chewing holes in the sheets, but, unfortunately, he must leave the motorcycle behind.
After Ralph loses the motorcycle Keith loses trust in him, although he still brings the mice colony room service. One night Keith becomes very sick, and to regain Keith's trust, Ralph searches the hotel for an aspirin tablet, at risk to himself, for the medicine could prove fatal to a small mouse if ingested. His adventures include venturing outside the hotel, being trapped by guests, being chased by a nosy dog, and hatching a plan of adventure which involves a toy ambulance and the elevator. When Ralph succeeds, Keith's health is restored. He agrees to let Ralph keep the motorcycle, which is found by the bellboy, after he leaves, and Ralph uses the space under the TV set in the lobby to use as a garage; the motorcycle is his to keep.
Series
- The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1965)
- Runaway RalphRunaway RalphRunaway Ralph is the second in a children's novel trilogy written by Beverly Cleary, first published in 1970.Keith gave him , Ralph speeds down the road toward Happy Acres Camp, where he is captured by a boy named Garf and kept as a pet...
(1970) - Ralph S. MouseRalph S. MouseRalph S. Mouse is a children's novel by Beverly Cleary. It features Ralph, a mouse with the ability to speak, but only with certain people who tend to be loners....
(1982)
Printings
The book was released as a selection of the Weekly ReaderWeekly Reader
Weekly Reader is a weekly educational classroom magazine designed for children in grades Pre-K–12. It began in 1928 as My Weekly Reader....
Children's Book Club - Intermediate Division.
Film adaptation
Churchill FilmsChurchill Films
Churchill Films is a producer of direct-to-video films. They have produced The Mouse and the Motorcycle based on the 1965 book by Beverly Cleary and many other award-winning children's films....
produced an adaptation of The Mouse and the Motorcycle directed by Ron Underwood
Ron Underwood
Ronald Brian "Ron" Underwood is an American film director.-Early Life:-Early career :-Mainstream breakthrough :-Filmography:...
in 1986. The film was distributed by Strand Home Video
Strand Home Video
Strand Home Video is a video company most famous for distributing Thomas and Friends videos from 1990-1994. The company also distributed other movies and TV programs on VHS and LaserDisc formats, including Kino's Storytime, The Mouse and the Motorcycle and its sequels, Runaway Ralph and Ralph S....
, ABC Video
ABC Video
ABC Video was the VHS and Betamax distribution arm of Australian Broadcasting Corporation from the mid-1980s until early-2005 when it was shut down in favor of ABC DVD, which was founded a few years before....
and Golden Book Video
Golden Book Video
Golden Book Video was a line of children’s animated videos marketed by Western Publishing, beginning in 1985. They featured characters and stories from Western's print publications, such as Little Golden Books, and were originally released on VHS video cassette for under $10.The videos made use of...
under the "GoldenVision" label.