Word of Mouse

Isaiah follows the girl mouse after she walks away. He explains how he lost his entire family during their escape, and she softens. She introduces herself as Mikayla and mentions that her mischief, the name of a group of mice, lives nearby. She leads Isaiah to her home and notes that her human hosts, the Brophys, are messy eaters who provide plenty of scavenging opportunities. As they follow a smudge mark left by her family’s regular route home, Isaiah worries about being an unwelcome intruder. Mikayla reassures him that he will be accepted as long as he contributes. Isaiah realizes Mikayla isn’t just inviting him for a meal; she is inviting him to join her mischief.

Mikayla introduces Isaiah to her enormous mischief, which includes over 200 relatives. James the Wise, an elder mouse, welcomes Isaiah and declares that his orphan days are over and that this is his new home. Isaiah, though grateful, explains that his family is still trapped in the Horrible Place. James reassures him that he is welcome to stay until he reunites with them, then invites him to share their food. Isaiah wants to express his gratitude to Mikayla, but she has disappeared into the crowd. Gabriel, a muscular gray mouse, and his sister Gwindell introduce themselves and offer to show Isaiah around. Isaiah learns that Mikayla is somewhat elusive. Isaiah praises Mikayla’s singing, which surprises Gabriel and Gwindell, who believe girls don’t sing. The two lead Isaiah to the food, mentioning that the Brophys had bacon for breakfast.

After their bacon feast, Gabriel and Gwindell give Isaiah a tour of the burrow. It is clean and organized, which Isaiah appreciates after the unsanitary conditions his family was forced to live in at the Horrible Place. Gabriel offers to show Isaiah more of the house, hinting at the possibility of finding more delicious food like bacon or Doritos, another tasty treat. Intrigued by the promise of new food, Isaiah follows Gabriel and Gwindell through the walls and into the beams under the floor. The trio reach the kitchen through a sink drain and find themselves in a cabinet filled with cans, spray bottles, and a trash can. Although Isaiah is tempted by the food in the trash, Gabriel assures him there is better food elsewhere. They work together to push open the cabinet door blocked by Mr. Brophy’s dirty work clothes.

The Brophys’ kitchen is strewn with food bags, rotting fruit, and a pile of dirty laundry that smells familiar to Isaiah. Gabriel reminds him that they are there to gather food, not to sniff clothes. Isaiah’s keen senses and ability to read help him identify a mousetrap baited with peanut butter. Gabriel and Gwindell are impressed by Isaiah’s ability, which he uses to identify other food items like Fruity Pebbles and Double Stuf Oreos. As they prepare to take the cookies back with them, they hear the approaching footsteps of Dwayne, the Brophys’ son. The mice hide and watch the boy make a massive sandwich and discard a cream horn pastry, a favorite among the mice. Gabriel explains that Dwayne often tosses unwanted food on the floor for the cat, Lucifer, to eat. Isaiah is alarmed to learn that Lucifer lives in the Brophy house.

The trio of mice spring into action to gather food after Dwayne leaves the kitchen. Isaiah suggests using a padded oven mitt to cushion the cookies’ fall from the countertop, and they successfully roll the cookies to safety. The mice collect other food scraps Dwayne dropped while making his sandwich. Isaiah bravely retrieves the cream horn from the middle of the kitchen floor, driven by his desire to please Mikayla.

That night, the mice enjoy a feast reminiscent of a human Thanksgiving. James the Wise offers a blessing, expressing gratitude for the abundance provided by the Brophys and noting the importance of family. Mikayla looks happy about the cream horn, though she doesn’t sing. As the night ends and the mice prepare to sleep, Isaiah feels grateful for his new family and whispers a prayer, hoping to one day reunite with his old one.

Isaiah wakes early and wishes his family could escape the Horrible Place to join him under the Brophy house. He believes there’s plenty of room and food for all of them, especially given Dwayne’s eating habits. As dusk approaches and his new family stirs, he watches Mikayla clean up from the previous night’s feast. Gabriel, Gwindell, and other mice invite Isaiah for another food run. They explain the urgency as Lucifer, the cat, will be active. The seven mice in the group travel through tunnels and pipes to the dining room. The mice capitalize on the Brophys’ messiness, collecting dropped food items like a ball of buttery mashed potatoes and a slice of meatloaf.

Isaiah proposes a plan to use a discarded napkin as a net. With the help of Gabriel and two other mice, they stretch out the napkin to catch falling food, allowing them to carry a heavier load than they otherwise could. They gather a bounty of dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, corn, meatloaf, and broccoli, all unnoticed by the Brophys. The mice then drag the food back to the kitchen while the Brophys move on to dessert, dropping jelly-filled doughnut holes in the process. Geoffrey and Gilligan, two younger mice, attempt to catch them but struggle with slippery surfaces. The mice sing happily as they transport the food back to their burrow. When Gabriel learns that Geoffrey and Gilligan dropped the doughnuts, he is disappointed, and Isaiah leads the group back to retrieve them.

When the mice return to retrieve the fallen doughnuts, they find Lucifer prowling the kitchen countertops. Isaiah must choose between fleeing and abandoning the desserts or risking his life to retrieve them for his friends. Choosing bravery and ignoring Gabriel’s warnings, Isaiah races across the floor and tosses the doughnuts back to Gilligan and Geoffrey. However, Lucifer pounces and narrowly misses Isaiah. The mouse climbs the drawers and navigates the cluttered countertop to escape, Lucifer in pursuit. The cat knocks over dishes, a cookie jar, and a pasta bin. Taking advantage of the chaos, Isaiah leaps off the counter and runs into Dwayne Brophy’s bedroom to hide under a pile of dirty laundry.

After realizing the laundry pile won’t be safe for long, Isaiah runs across the floor and climbs into one of Dwayne’s shoes. Lucifer knocks the shoe aside, leaving Isaiah disoriented and vulnerable. The cat begins to toy with him and bat him around. In an attempt to save himself, Isaiah barks loudly, mimicking a Doberman pinscher. The sound startles Lucifer, which allows Isaiah to escape. He leaves the bedroom and races through the kitchen toward a smaller room filled with work boots and jackets. He spots a pet door leading outside and exits through it, narrowly escaping Lucifer’s grasp. Isaiah hears the cat’s frustrated yowl behind him, confirming that it missed the door.

Isaiah returns to the burrow following his escape from Lucifer. Gabriel and the other mice celebrate his bravery and his role in securing their dinner, including the coveted doughnut holes. James the Wise formally praises Isaiah for his courage and leads the mice in a cheer to honor him.

However, Isaiah feels conflicted and silly. He approaches Mikayla, who thanks him and compares his sweetness to the doughnuts. She also confides that she doesn’t sing openly because, in her family, girls are expected to fulfill traditional roles and not stand out. Being different, as Isaiah is, is not considered a good thing in their mischief. This makes Isaiah realize that no matter how much he tries, he will never truly belong there. Feeling rejected, Isaiah quietly leaves the dining hall and retreats to his straw bed.

Isaiah wakes early and goes outside for fresh air while Mikayla and her family continue to sleep. While enjoying the morning sun, he shifts his focus from trying to impress Mikayla to reuniting with his family. He marks his territory around the neighborhood to leave a scent trail for his siblings to follow. While he explores, he notes the contrast between the Brophys’ shabby home and the neat, flower-filled houses nearby. While admiring one neat house, he spots a bird circling overhead. Just as the bird is about to swoop down on him, it is scared away by a young girl coming out to the porch to retrieve the newspaper. Isaiah circles to the back of the house and finds another pet door. He decides to go inside to avoid the aggressive birds occupying the nearby feeder and birdbath.

Isaiah meets a small dog wearing a pink bow and collar inside the house. He attempts to communicate with the dog to gain her trust by introducing himself and praising her accessories. However, the dog responds with loud yips, startling him. Despite his sensitive ears, he responds with a “YIP” of his own, which scares the dog away. Once the dog is gone, he notices the food on the kitchen countertops. He investigates a sweet-smelling blue box and slices through the plastic window with his claws to reach the cake inside. His feast is interrupted by the girl’s return from the porch; she spots Isaiah and screams.

The girl picks up the newspaper to smash Isaiah. Trapped inside the cake box, he desperately tries to calm her down, but his voice is inaudible to humans. Her screams grow louder and higher in pitch, almost reaching mouse levels, as she accuses Isaiah of contaminating her breakfast. Seeing no other option, Isaiah darts out of the cake box and across the counter to a computer keyboard. The girl threatens to break the keyboard and Isaiah. Isaiah flaps his arms and tail to get her to look at the screen before she hits him. She raises the newspaper to deliver the blow, and Isaiah braces himself for impact.

The girl finally notices the words he typed on the computer screen: the repeated phrase “Chill please?” (118). She is curious, lowering the newspaper and shifting her gaze from the screen to Isaiah. She asks him questions, and Isaiah responds by typing more elaborate messages, showcasing his extensive vocabulary. The girl introduces herself as Hailey and asks for his name, to which he types out his response.

Hailey and Isaiah continue to talk. He shares that he has always been blue and that the tag on his ear has been there since birth, but he avoids discussing his past at the Horrible Place with her. Hailey, in turn, reveals that she struggles to make friends at her new school due to her distinctive white hair and icy blue eyes. Isaiah empathizes with her feelings of being different. Their chat is interrupted by Dolce, the dog Isaiah met earlier. Hailey reassures Isaiah that Dolce is friendly. However, when she mentions they also have a cat named Red Boy, Isaiah panics.

Upon learning Hailey also has a cat, Isaiah’s legs tremble so much that he accidentally types a series of random letters on the keyboard. Hailey tells him Red Boy is sweet. The cat stretches out lazily in a sunny spot on the floor, seemingly uninterested in causing trouble. Despite the girl’s assurances, Isaiah remains paralyzed. Hailey offers him double chocolate chip ice cream, which he tentatively accepts. The ice cream and the cat continuing to nap peacefully calm him a little. Hailey tells Isaiah that chocolate is not suitable for dogs and is concerned about its effects on mice, but Isaiah assures her he’s okay. While Hailey distracts Dolce with a treat, Isaiah decides it’s time to leave and types out a farewell message. Hailey says she hopes Isaiah will visit again. She offers her hand, and Isaiah shakes her pinky.

While crossing the lawn from Hailey’s house to the Brophys’, Isaiah notices the shadow of a red-tailed hawk overhead. Despite his attempts to run, the hawk snatches Isaiah up in its beak. The mouse is surprised when the hawk carries him skyward instead of immediately devouring him. The hawk swoops down into the branches of an oak tree and releases Isaiah, leaving him to plummet toward the ground.

Isaiah lands in the hawk’s nest instead of hitting a tree branch or the ground. While relieved, he quickly realizes he is surrounded by hungry hawk chicks, who snap at him with their beaks. Isaiah’s shout of “STOP” startles the chicks. Isaiah escapes from the nest and down the tree. He spots the Brophy house and heads toward it, but is again pursued by the hawk. The mouse uses the tall, unkempt grass in the Brophys’ yard to hide from the hawk, which eventually gives up and flies away.

Isaiah returns to the burrow just in time for the nightly food run. He volunteers to join the scavenging party, motivated by Mikayla, who is armed with a green plastic sword. The mice prepare their tools for the food run. Isaiah selects a cotton swab stick as his scavenging tool and teasingly suggests that Mikayla might sing for him someday, but she dismisses the idea. Their banter is cut short by Gabriel, who reminds them to be quiet. As they push through the cabinet door, they hear metallic jingling, which Isaiah recognizes as the keys carried by the Mop Man from the Horrible Place. Isaiah finally realizes Mr. Brophy is one of the men who locked up his family, which is why he recognized the smell of his work clothes.