Fans Are Shocked Stuart Little Isn’t Actually a Mouse

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Fans are feeling a little hi, little low, little hey, little ho over this news.

Okay, so I’ve been seeing everyone online completely losing it over Stuart Little! Apparently, a lot of people just realized that in E.B. White’s original 1945 book – the one that started it all and led to the movies – Stuart isn’t actually a mouse. He’s a tiny human child! It’s a pretty mind-blowing reveal if you grew up with the story, and it’s got everyone re-thinking everything they thought they knew about that little guy.

One person on X (formerly Twitter) was shocked to discover that Stuart Little isn’t a mouse at all – he’s a boy who simply looks like one. They admitted they were struggling to wrap their head around this new information.

The fan wasn’t the only one surprised – many others quickly replied to the comments to express their shock as well.

“That’s completely unfair,” one person said emphatically. Another was shocked, asking, “So, all that trouble was actually caused by people?”

Someone jokingly pointed out that the reveal of Stuart Little being a tiny human disguised as a mouse feels less like a heartwarming children’s story and more like a mysterious deal the family made with something unknown.

The news probably came as a bigger shock to people who only knew the story from the movie, where Stuart, voiced by Michael J. Fox, is adopted by the Littles – Mr. Little, played by Hugh Laurie, and Mrs. Little, played by Geena Davis.

In the 1945 book by E.B. White, the character’s story begins quite differently. The book opens with the observation that when Mrs. Frederick C. Little’s second son was born, he was remarkably small – no bigger than a mouse.

The book began by describing the baby as remarkably mouse-like. He was tiny, only about two inches tall, and possessed all the characteristics of a mouse – a pointed nose, a tail, whiskers, and a gentle, timid personality.

The book described young Stuart as resembling and behaving like a mouse, even though he was distinguished by a gray hat and a tiny cane.

Stuart developed quickly, and the book notes that he was surprisingly capable from a very young age – able to climb lamps using their cords when he was just a week old! Mrs. Little quickly realized her initial baby clothes wouldn’t work for such an active infant, so she made him a smart little blue suit with pockets to hold his handkerchief, money, and keys.

Since its publication, readers have often been surprised by the way Stuart Little was born. According to Melissa Sweet’s 2016 biography, Some Writer!, Anne Carroll Moore, a well-known writer and librarian, was particularly struck by the story when White’s editor first sent her the manuscript.

She declared it the most disappointing book she’d ever read, and her biography reveals she immediately wrote a fourteen-page letter to the publishers. In it, she passionately argued against publishing Stuart Little, believing its premise of an unusual birth was deeply problematic.

The book began by describing the baby as remarkably mouse-like. He was tiny, only about two inches tall, and possessed all the characteristics of a mouse: a pointed nose, a tail, whiskers, and a gentle, timid personality.

The book described young Stuart as resembling and behaving like a mouse, even though he was distinguished by a gray hat and a small cane.

Stuart matured quickly, and the story notes that he was remarkably capable from a very young age – able to climb lampshades when just a week old! Mrs. Little quickly realized the baby clothes she’d given him didn’t fit his active nature, so she knitted him a smart little blue suit with pockets to hold his handkerchief, money, and keys.

Since its publication, the unusual way Stuart Little was born has often surprised readers. According to Melissa Sweet’s 2016 biography, Some Writer!, renowned writer and librarian Anne Carroll Moore had a strong reaction when she first received the original manuscript from E.B. White’s editor.

She expressed extreme disappointment with the book, and a biography revealed she’d written a passionate fourteen-page letter to the publishers. In it, she argued against publishing Stuart Little because of what she considered its disturbing depiction of birth.

The biography reveals Anne worried that White had confused fantasy and reality.

She worried about how readers would react to a story about a mouse born to human parents, writing, “The idea of a mouse being born to humans… the worlds are so different!” She was also concerned that Stuart Little would be hard for libraries and schools nationwide to accept.

The film updated the character’s backstory to include adoption, an idea that actually came from Harold Ross, White’s editor, soon after the book was published. Ross believed White had erred by making the character a birth child of the family.

Eventually, White was affected by the feedback he received. Originally, the first versions of Stuart Little stated that Stuart was born to the Little family. However, in later editions, White revised the story to say Stuart simply arrived at their home instead.

Stuart Little isn’t the only popular character with an interesting backstory. Here are some surprising facts about other animated favorites.

You wouldn’t BELIEVE what I read about Anne! Apparently, she was really worried about how obsessed White was with her – she thought he was losing touch with what was real and what was just… in his head. It was like he couldn’t separate his fantasy about her from, you know, her! It’s so creepy, but also… fascinating?

She worried about how readers would react to a story about a mouse born to human parents, writing, ‘It’s such a strange idea – how could this even happen?’ She also expressed concern that ‘Stuart Little’ might be hard for libraries and schools to accept and share with readers nationwide.

The film updated the character’s story by making them adopted, an idea that actually came from the author’s boss, Harold Ross, soon after the book was published. Ross believed the author had erred by establishing the character as a birth member of the family.

I’ve always loved how much E.B. White cared about getting the details right! I remember learning that originally, Stuart Little said he was actually born to the Littles, but White felt that wasn’t quite right. He revised it – he changed the beginning so that Stuart simply arrived to them, and honestly, it feels so much better that way. It shows how much thought he put into every little part of the story.

Stuart Little isn’t the only famous character with an unexpected background. We’ll explore the stories behind some of your favorite animated stars next.

Many fans were left purrrrrfectly confused after this revelation.

According to Jill Cook, an executive at Sanrio, Hello Kitty isn’t a cat at all! She revealed in July 2024 to Today that Hello Kitty is actually a little girl who grew up in the London suburbs. She has a family – a mom, dad, and a twin sister named Mimmy, who is also her best friend – and loves to bake and meet new people.

Although many were surprised by the recent news, Tim Cook wasn’t the first to reveal this. Anthropologist Christine R. Yano, author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific, had previously confirmed that Hello Kitty is not actually a cat.

In a 2014 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Hello Kitty’s creator clarified that Hello Kitty isn’t actually a cat. She explained that Hello Kitty is a cartoon character – a little girl and a friend – who walks and sits like a human. While she has a pet cat named Charmmy Kitty, Hello Kitty herself isn’t one!

Did you know some fun things about Hello Kitty? Sanrio says she’s five apples high, weighs three apples, was born on November 1st (so she’s a Scorpio!), and hopes to become either a pianist or a poet.

Gawrsh! Did you know this fact?

Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy for many years, recently shared the reason why Goofy can speak but Mickey Mouse’s dog, Pluto, cannot.

During an August 2024 episode of the Popcorn Podcast with Leigh Livingstone and Tim Iffland, Goofy’s voice actor explained that while Goofy isn’t technically a dog, he is a canine – similar to how a wolf is related to dogs. He described Goofy as a “Goofus canis,” or a “man-dog,” a unique blend of both.

However, Pluto, he added, is a “regular dog”—a blood hound as it turns out.

You’ll want to get to the (bikini) bottom of this discovery.

Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, surprisingly shared that the character Squidward Tentacles is actually an octopus, despite his name!

Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, explained the design of Squidward the Octopus in a 2005 interview rediscovered by BuzzFeed. He said he chose an octopus because of their naturally large heads, and that Squidward’s big head fit his personality as someone who sees himself as an intellectual.

As a creator, you always have to make choices, and sometimes those choices are purely practical! I always get asked about Squidward’s legs – why does he have six when he’s supposed to be an octopus? Well, Stephen Hillenburg, the brilliant mind behind SpongeBob, simply said it was much easier for the animators to draw him with fewer tentacles. It’s a great example of how artistic needs can playfully bend the rules of biology!

Break out your handy dandy notebook and jot this one down.

As a longtime observer of children’s television, I always find it fascinating to learn the behind-the-scenes stories! Did you know Blue from Blue’s Clues wasn’t always Blue? I recently rediscovered a fun fact from the show’s 10-year anniversary special. Apparently, the creators originally named him Mr. Orange! They quickly realized that didn’t quite fit, and that’s when they decided to go with Mr. Blue – which, thankfully, stuck!

However, Nickelodeon revealed they were already developing a show centered around a cat. This caused the creators to scrap their initial concept and change Blue from a cat to a dog.

Now this really isn’t funnie, er, funny.

Interestingly, the main character of the cartoon Doug was nearly called Brian. So, what prompted the name change?

Jim Jinkins, the creator of Doug, explained to HuffPost TV in 2014 that he initially felt the name “Brian” was too sophisticated for the character. He decided on “Doug” because it sounded very ordinary, which was exactly the impression he wanted to create for the character’s perspective.

This fact is so good it’s scary.

BuzzFeed reports that the little girl in Monsters, Inc., known as Boo, is actually named Mary Gibbs. Interestingly, Mary Gibbs is also the name of the actress who voiced the character!

Still not convinced? There’s a moment in the movie where Boo is looking at her drawings, and viewers have noticed the name “Mary” written on one of them.

Most people know Mickey Mouse’s girlfriend as Minnie Mouse, but the BBC reported in 1942 that her complete name is actually Minerva.

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2025-12-13 04:48