Inexplicably, the improbably-named Hercules Amsterdam is only three inches tall, a condition which has plagued him for all of his nine years, providing his family with much consternation. He himself is fairly happy with this state of being, though he does, naturally, have his problems and fears, since his size makes him an easy target for cats and careless feet. One day, his life changes drastically, when he discovers a hidden world in the walls of his own house, a world in which mice live and play, much like humans do. In this magical world, Hercules is finally able to relax and live like a normal boy, able to play baseball and have fun with people his own size. Unfortunately, the lifespan of a mouse is much faster than that of a human, and before long he’s discovered the drawbacks of this life as well, as “childhood” friends become great-grandmothers in the space of months. This leads him to the next phase of his existence, as he goes delving into the hidden history and secrets of the mice, discovering several lost, abandoned cities elsewhere in the walls. What happened to the other cities? Where did the mice come from? And what horrible secrets have the mice forgotten altogether? His quest to discover the truth brings him face to face with the ancient enemy of the mice: rats. It’s up to Hercules and his young mouse friend Quanqster to save the mice from a pending rat invasion and solve the problem once and for all. Their journey will take them to the first mouse city, bring them into conflict with ants and rats, and finally grant them an audience with a capricious fairy. Can Hercules and his friends, including a new human ally named Juna, manage all of this, or are the mice doomed to relive the past?

The Heroic Adventure of Hercules Amsterdam is thoroughly charming, and completely entertaining. It’s Stuart Little with some Rats of NIMH thrown in, updated for a more modern audience and sensibility. While some parts are wildly implausible, this book takes the best route possible, and keeps on moving, embracing the fairy tale/fantastical aspects of the setting. Hercules himself is a pint-size hero with the intelligence, creativity, and stubbornness to get the job done. I hope we’ll see more from Melissa Haber.