A few days ago, I shared on Instagram that Mouse Mansion: Sam + Julia at the Theater had finally returned to the shop after being out of stock for ages. The copy you see in this photo is actually my own, bought 13 years ago and shipped all the way from Australia before the Mouse Mansion collection had even made its way to the US.

I still remember sitting with my kids and slowly turning the pages together, completely delighted by all the tiny details tucked into every scene. It immediately became one of those picture books that felt special. The kind children return to again and again.

What makes these books so memorable is the world behind them. The entire Mouse Mansion was built by hand by creator Karina Schaapman using cardboard boxes and recycled materials over the course of many years. The photographs inside the books are all taken inside that handmade miniature world.

The stories themselves are gentle, cozy, and full of everyday adventure. In At the Theater, Sam and Julia prepare for a performance while the entire Mouse Mansion gathers to watch. Along the way, there are lost treasures, backstage moments, friendships, and all the little discoveries children love noticing together.

When we lived in Germany, we visited Amsterdam and made a stop at the Mouse Mansion shop. It was utterly delightful. My husband eventually had to pull me out of there because we had somewhere else to be, but I could have happily stayed there much longer.

I think part of why I’ve always loved these books so much is that I’ve always been drawn to miniature worlds and tiny details. Mouse Mansion captures that sense of wonder so perfectly for me, even now.

Over the years, the collection has grown beyond the books into plush mice, craft kits, miniature accessories, and imaginative play sets that invite children to build little worlds of their own too.

I’m so happy to finally have these back in the shop again.

You can browse the full Mouse Mansion collection here:

Explore the Mouse Mansion Collection