Longing to escape his street-cat life, he hopes to trade London’s damp alleyways for the warmth of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn. When he learns that the innkeeper is looking for a new mouser, Skilley comes up with an audacious scheme to install himself in the famous tavern.
Once established in the inn, Skilley strikes a bargain with Pip, an erudite mouse. They agree that Skilley will protect the mice who live at the inn, and, in turn, the mice will provide him with the thing he desires most—the inn’s delectable cheese.
But when Skilley and Pip are drawn into a crisis of monumental proportions involving a tyrannical cook, an unethical barmaid and a malevolent tomcat, their new friendship is pushed to its limits. The escalating conflict threatens not only the peace of the Cheshire Cheese Inn but also of the British Monarchy.
Unbeknownst to Skilley and Pip, however, they have a secret ally: a famous author who scribbles away many an afternoon at the Cheese. In this playful homage to Charles Dickens, unlikely allies learn the lessons of a great friendship.
For more on The Cheshire Cheese Cat, check out our blog tour from October and be sure to follow SLJ’s Battle of the Books — the Cheese is battling it out for the title in March!