

Frederick hype
I was at Dromgoole’s today (a lovely pen shop here in Houston) and overheard some folks talking about the Hobonichi Frederick cover. They thought the mouse was cute, but had no idea that Frederick is actually the titular character from a children’s book by Leo Lionni!
For anyone else who isn’t familiar with it: Frederick is about a family of field mice preparing for winter. While all the other mice are busy gathering food, Frederick seems to be doing nothing. But he explains that he’s gathering sun rays, colors, and words for the cold, dark days ahead. Then winter comes, and at first they feast, but then their food starts running low. Saving the day, Frederick uses everything he “collected” to tell stories and poems that bring warmth and happiness back to the group.
It’s such a sweet little story about the importance of imagination, storytelling, art, and maintaining a positive outlook during hard times.
That’s honestly why I’m so excited to get this cover. It’s not just a cute little mouse. Frederick feels like a tiny reminder to hold onto some light for the dark days.