I received an electronic ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide through NetGalley.
An interesting look at the mice beyond those included in Disney's Cinderella. Readers see the whole kingdom and meet Delphine - an orphaned mouse left on a doorstep and adopted by a commoner mouse. The only thing she had were some tapestries and human sized silver needle when she was found. Naturally, she grows up to become a seamstress and is asked to create a gown for the princess. While at the palace, she meets Lord Alexander and the two explore forbidden sections of the palace and discover more information about the Threaded. While exploring, they cross into the areas governed by the rats and set off the first of battles to come as the rat king, Midnight, wants the final needle to gain the magic and immense power that comes with the Threadeds' needles. The two flee the castle and set off to learn more about who Delphine really is and solve the mystery of the needle. Delphine learns to use the needle for magic and slowly gains control of this power. The book ends with the first major battle launched by the rats and Delphine, Alexander, and Cornichonne (the cat) heading for the castle to confront King Midnight.
I love the two side stories introduced between chapters - one offering insight into King Midnight and his quest; the other introducing a rat and a mouse who have become friends. Looking forward to seeing both of these storylines develop in future books. I'm less interested in the brief references to Cinderella's story. These referrals just seem to be tossed in at random times to reconnect to the premise of this happening at the same time as Cinderella's ball.
Middle grade fantasy readers will appreciate the magic and action. The quest is a worthy and expected one - finding your roots. The characters are likeable and Moon reveals more about them as the story progresses. Readers will feel the scenes based on the descriptive words used and be part of the action.

*Disclaimer I received a free copy of this book for a honest review, his will not affect my thought or feelings toward this book*
In one word this book was AMAZING! I can’t tell you how much I loved this book, the characters were amazing and I felt like I got attached to them. Delphine was such a nice lovable character to watch and see her grow on her adventure in this book. I thought all of the supporting characters added to the story and didn’t feel useless. I thought the story was super fun to read and I loved the mystery that was present throughout the whole book. I also thought the pacing was done really well never felt way to slow or to fast. I really loved how it ended and can’t wait for the next one cause this one was such a great read! Overall another top 2021 read with a final rating of 4.5/5 stars rounded up. Definitely a must read for Disney fans or for anyone that wants a fun adventure.

*This review will be posted on Goodreads January 17th 2021 and on B&N and Amazon March 2nd 2021*

I received a galley through NetGalley.

<i>Delphine and the Silver Needle</i> is a middle grade novel expanding on the world of the mice of the classic movie Cinderella. Delphine is a talented seamstress mouse within Cinderella's own household. She was delivered to the chateau as a baby, a tarnished human-sized sewing needle along with her. A request to sew for the mouse-princess leads her to court, where she befriends the pompous Alexander and finds out more about the tailor mice of legend who carried needles like her own. However, when the evil rats who also live in the castle find out about her needle, she and Alexander must flee for their lives. King Midnight of the rats has a collection of needles of his own, and he will stop at nothing to add another piece to his collection.

This is a cute story, but it disappointed me in many ways. Cinderella's story goes on distantly in the background and really has nothing to do with Delphine's tale. I was excited--like squeal-aloud excited--when the major mice from Cinderella made an appearance, but it only lasted for a few paragraphs as a passing cameo. Weirdly enough, the human world (and Cinderella's world) has little bearing on the book, which seemed to miss a major opportunity. I loved seeing how Disney mice worked with oversized human things, like lacing buttons onto the their tails; in this book, the bulk of the action is in the wilderness as Delphine and Alexander struggle to survive. Disney villains don't always have nuance, but King Midnight is pretty much as cardboard cutout as you can get. The ending doesn't satisfy, ending on a major cliffhanger.

I would have liked this book a lot more if it had been stand-alone. I craved more overlap of Cinderella's story, of her world and its mice and magic, and this didn't tap that potential at all. My early galley ebook did not contain finished illustrations, though the few sketches inside were absolutely darling. Maybe the finished edition will embody more of the Disney vibe when the illustrations are there.

Delphine and the Silver Needle by Alyssa Moon is an excellent novel that has action, adventure, magic, creativity, and a wonderful plot.

I really love this book. Delphine is a plucky, feisty, fierce, and likable heroine. The best part is: she is a mouse! I loved the concept of the mystery and quest to find out who this orphaned mouse could be. Is she destined for something great? Is she from a fantastic and larger-then life heritage? Within Cinderella’s castle in mid 1500s-1600s French castle landscape, we see Delphine’s arrival, the mystery, and her gradual awakening in regards to who she is, and what great things she could be destined for. The arrival of her possible partner in crime that seems the relaxed opposite, Alexander, seems to complete this cast.

Of course what Disney plot would be complete without an evil Rat King enemy, a dust of magic, adversity, and the promise of a great ending and reveal...of which might be slowly revealed in the next book....

This was such a great read and would be a welcome addition to any Disney fan’s bookshelf.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Disney-Hyperion for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Delphine is a character who inspires and delights. Readers who need that extra boost of courage should read Delphine and the Silver Needle and understand that even little mice can over come big challenges.

Delphine was found abandoned on the mouse doorstep of Chateau Desjardins and taken in by Meline, who raised her as her own. The baby mouse was accompanied by a scrap of fabric, as well as a silver needle, which is hung on the wall in her room in a place of honor. Delphine loves to sew, and takes tips from spying on Cinderella as she works. She is a talented seamstress, and after she makes a gown for a relative who visits the palace, she is summoned by Princess Petits-Oiseaux, who would like the young mouse to make her a spectacular gown for the upcoming ball. Thrilled to be at the palace, Delphine is a little less thrilled when Lord Alexander de Soucy Perrault, of the Poirier Perraults, insists on following her around. However, when Dephine finds out about the Threaded, fabled mice who were phenomenal sewers, and realizes that she might be connected to them, she welcomes his help. He shows her a hidden room in the castle that has tapestries that tell the story of the Threaded, and her needle seems to be very similar to the ones depicted. When rats break a treaty in order to come after her, she knows there must be a connection. Taking off with Alexander, she follows clues to a music school, a monastery, and Chateau Trois Arbres. Will Delphine be able to be brave in the face of danger, find out about her past, and keep the evil King Midnight from taking her ancestral relic?
Strengths: This was really beautifully written, in a way that made me feel like a was a little mouse scurrying around Cinderella's chateau in a vaguely 1600-ish, French world. The clothing descriptions were elaborate, and even the crumbs sounded tasty! I liked that Delphine is plucked from her cozy world in order to find out who she really is, and that her background included some magic. Alexander is a good foil for her; he's a bit self-important and foppish to start, but proves a formidable ally when Delphine really needs one. The illustrations were not finished in the E ARC, but since I am a sucker for cartoon mice, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product. This would make an excellent gift for a Disney-obsessed reader!
Weaknesses: King Midnight and his rats were a bit over the top in their evil, but then, aren't all Disney villains?
What I really think: This was really very well written, but hard for me to read because of my aversion to talking animals! I'm also not a huge fan of Disney tales; nothing against them, I just am not as wild about all things Disney as some people are. This is absolutely perfect for readers who loved the adventure in Fiedler's Mouseheart series, or who are Rudnick's A Frozen Heart, and would make a fantastic bedtime read aloud for anyone who wants a wholesome quest involving adorable mice.

Redwall. *Shiver*. I haven't weeded the books because reading my way through all of them took the better part of a month. It's probably been five years since I had anyone read all the books in the series.

This was an enjoyable read featuring a mouse named Delphine who lives in Cinderella's castle. Full of adventure and magic, children will root for Delphine and her friends.

How could I not request this one?

The cover is amazing! I love the little mice. 💕

I also enjoy that even though it has nothing to do with Cinderella, it still deals with the kingdom that she lives in and they are mice from her chateau.

I'm happy to announce that I really enjoyed this one because if I didn't it would have made me really sad.

Delphine is a very brave mouse. She also is a great dressmaker that is summoned by the princess to help with making a dress. I liked her character and enjoyed the adventure that awaits her throughout.

There is another mouse that is also present through a majority of the book named Alexander. He is a nobelmouse who has decided to protect Delphine from the rats but honestly, she does most of the protecting haha. He is quite the character though!

I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to the plot. I thought that it was very intriguing and was also well paced. There was enough action/adventure to keep me hooked. Plus, there is a bit of magic! I think many will like this one, especially if they like Cinderella, because there are familiar characters from the movie that are mentioned.

The only thing that was a bit hard was the french words used for some of the mice name. At least my husband was able to help me with that, ha.

Overall, this was a enjoyable read. I did think it was going to be a standalone but it looks like it will be a series since it ended without a conclusion. It'll be cool to read more about Delphine and Alexander!