The Mousleys: A Museum Children’s Book
Sorry, Billy.
I have to admit, with COVID changing every aspect of museum operations this past year, I really missed having our group tours - especially school groups. Not everyone likes giving tours to kids (I can think of a few people who’ve said that they prefer to give tours to visitors with longer attention spans) but to me, there’s something so special about the unique insights they bring to the museum world. Since I started as a museum assistant here five or so years ago, I’ve been fascinated by the way they interact with the space and the questions they come up with. Sure, it comes with the occasional awkward question (“Why is that lady naked?” little Billy asks as he points to the French Drawing room ceiling) but kids are so, so much smarter and more intuitive than many people give them credit for.
I am very enthusiastic about making museums accessible for kids. My parents made a point to take me and my brothers to as many museums and zoos as possible when we were younger, and I largely credit my worldviews, love of history, artistic spark, and strong empathy to my experiences in museums. Now that I work in one, I feel compelled to make the Ruthmere experience even more child-friendly. It’s hard being in a building where you can’t interact physically with the cavalcade of new sensory sensations presented to you. While our school tours and “My First Museum Visit” tours are great for getting kids into the museum mindset and introducing them to new cultural experiences, it’s important to keep in mind that adult museums and children’s museums are very different for very good reasons, and for the most part, Ruthmere is an adult’s museum. That being said, when Joy (our collections manager) came to me with an idea, I instantly jumped at the opportunity to enhance the kid-friendly experience of Ruthmere.
The Mousleys at home with their own copies of Ruthmere artwork and their self-playing music box (the mouse equivalent to a choralcelo).
I fully credit Joy with the concept behind the Mousleys. Inspired by a children’s book based on Downton Abbey, we sat down and envisioned a story of our own based on Ruthmere. Joy pictured children’s teas or other events based on the characters we would develop for the book(s), and perhaps even our own line of exclusive gifts - stuffed animals, toys, etc. Two of my greatest passions are writing and art, so I immediately dove in and began conceptualizing the mouse versions of Albert and Elizabeth Beardsley - Lady Libbie and Lord Bertie Mousley. We wanted this story to be something that would spark interest in our historic homes and the history of our city for kids by using familiar, colorful, cute, and appealing imagery. Hopefully, it will be a series that some of our kid visitors get hooked on.
Albert and Elizabeth’s fictional pup, Fang.
The story is fairly simple: Lady Libbie and Lord Bertie are a mouse couple that live beneath Ruthmere’s garden shed. They adore Ruthmere and its inhabitants, and so go out of their way to emulate their lifestyle and beautiful home. These fancy mice are friends with Fang, the owners’ proud dog (based on Albert and Elizabeth’s real Chinese Chow, Wang, whose name was changed in our adaptation for more reasons than one). One day, Fang invites them in for a party and a feast - but disappears when party time rolls around! The Mousleys must travel through downtown Elkhart with the help of several family members and friends (based on real people) to search for the missing pooch. All the while, they visit several historic locations throughout town, engrossing the reader in Elkhart of the 1910’s and 20’s.
The real-life photo of downtown Elkhart I used to create an illustration for the book. Image from Elkhart: A Pictorial History by George Riebs.
Thus far, I’ve written the story and completed about half of the illustrations. It hasn’t been a very speedy process, especially since I’m making sure that my illustrations are historically and architecturally accurate. By that, I mean that I have found real photos of historic buildings such as the Bucklen Opera House, or even just Main Street in downtown Elkhart, and made illustrations to match their real appearances. I even took the time to photograph real locations around Ruthmere; every now and then, I’ll walk around, find a spot where I want the Mousleys to stand (perhaps with Ruthmere in the background), and take a picture low to the ground from their perspective. It’s pretty fun to think like a mouse from time to time - I highly recommend it! And I imagine it will be a great way for kids to match the book with their physical environment, allowing them to play a game of “where were the Mousleys in this picture?” They’ll have so much more to consider when they come into the museum for a visit.
Bucklen Opera House real vs. illustration. Image from Elkhart: A Pictorial History by George Riebs.
The Mousleys talk to the cook, Greta, in Ruthmere’s kitchen garden.
I hope to complete the book by this summer. I’m really looking forward to seeing kids engage with Ruthmere in a new light and find more reasons to come and see us. Understanding and enjoying history is so incredibly important, regardless of what field you end up in as an adult. I want Ruthmere to step up as their channel and inspiration.
