Lulu the Broadway Mouse by Jenna Gavigan Published by Running Press Kids on October 9, 2018
Pages: 256
Goodreads
Ratatouille meets Broadway in this charming new middle grade novel about a little mouse with big dreams.
Lulu is a little girl with a very big dream: she wants to be on Broadway. She wants it more than anything in the world. As it happens, she lives in Broadway's Shubert Theatre; so achieving her dream shouldn't be too tricky, right? Wrong. Because the thing about Lulu? She's a little girl mouse.
When a human girl named Jayne joins the cast of the show at the Shubert as an understudy, Lulu becomes Jayne's guide through the world of her theatre and its wonderfully kooky cast and crew. Together, Jayne and Lulu learn that sometimes dreams turn out differently than we imagined; sometimes they come with terms and conditions (aka the company mean girl, Amanda). But sometimes, just when we've given up all hope, bigger and better dreams than we'd ever thought could come true, do.
Before beginning my review I quickly have to thank HBG for sending me an advance reader’s copy of Lulu the Broadway Mouse to read and review.
I just have to say that I absolutely loved the book and devoured it in one sitting. I was completely drawn into the book instantly. I mean whats not to love it takes place in one of my favorite cities in the world, New York City.
This is a debut novel by Jenna Gavigan. Jenna is no stranger to broadway as she herself made her debut on at 16 years old along side Bernadette Peters in Gypsy. Since then she has appeared in various tv shows, movies and on stages in the east and west coast.
Jenna did an absolutely fantastic job with this box. After finishing it I instantly want to read more about Lulu and her broadway adventures so I hope there is more books in the work.
Lulu is our main character and she lives in the legendary Shubert Theatre along with her family. She loves living in this gorgeous theatre. If you have been to the theatre in NYC you know just how pretty and gorgeous they are inside. Her family works along side the humans in a unnamed musical and yes humans can actually hear the mice speak. Even though Lulu loves working in the theatre and helping out she dreams of one day making her broadway debut but she knows that will never happen because she is a mouse, but perhaps one day it could be a reality.
When Lulu finds out that her best friend, Maya will be leaving because the drive is too much for her parents into the city to make it for every show especially since she is the understudy that has yet to make her debut she is upset. At first she’s not sure what to make of Jayne who is hired to replace Maya but before long the two become best friends and Lulu will do anything she can to make her feel welcomed especially when diva Amanda makes it know that no one will ever replace her.
This is where you know karma is a bitch and it will come and bite you in the butt when you least expect it and that is what happens. What will happen when things don’t go expected?
The story is told in Lulu’s point of view which was so much fun to read and I loved all the references to broadway shows including a little section at the back of the book with Lulu’s recommendations of things to see and do in NYC.
I loved that no matter how big or small you are dreams do come true if you believe.