Geronimo Stilton Saves the Olympics

Your kids missing the Olympic Games? This new graphic novel hardcover, tenth (!) in the Papercutz series, may be just the thing to remind them of the enjoyment of the competition.

Geronimo Stilton Saves the Olympics was my first exposure to the popular mouse character, translated from Italian. It’s a lot of fun, with Geronimo, as an investigative journalist, having all kinds of excuses to get involved in adventure. Here, it’s a journey to 1896 and the founding of the first modern Olympics.

Professor Von Volt has discovered that the Pirate Cats have gone back in time to win the events and get the prize coins (used in place of medals then). The mice compete against the cats, trying to prevent their cheating (by using modern technology) from changing history. With the professor and all the animal characters, especially the bad guys, I was reminded of some of the classic Donald Duck comics.

The story is told in straightforward fashion, with plenty of characters that (I assume) are familiar to series readers. Their roles — friend, mentor, comedy relief, cute kid, the girl, etc. — are clear enough that anyone could start reading here as well. The cartooning is attractive and easy to read while spurring imagination, with the animals in period costume and the cultural notes. Historical facts, dropped in as text panels, provide educational content. Since it’s all about sports, there are plenty of thrilling moments. Geronimo races a cat in swimming, while other challenges include weightlifting and running a marathon.

We’re told that there were nine sports in the first Olympics, and we see three of them, but I wish they’d listed out the others. I guess that’s praise for the story, that it gave me more curiosity about the event and a desire to learn more. (The publisher provided a digital review copy.)