Mortimer Mouse and the NEW Ocean House

With the same unique format as the first Mortimer Mouse book (animal illustrations scanned into actual photographs), a sequel has been written documenting the reconstruction and replication of the Ocean House hotel in Watch Hill -- through mouse eyes, of course. In the first book, Mortimer Mouse of the Ocean House, author/illustrator Ardith Schneider of Watch Hill, told the tale of the two mice cousins, Mortimer and Max, who lived in the Ocean House before and during its demolition. The mice picked themselves up from the rubble when the hotel came down and took refuge in the chapel across the street. As the new book opens they are exploring the chapel and discovering the nest habitat of the church mice. The NEW book shows the cousins playing on the construction site, meeting up with their old friend Mr. Raccoon and having a reunion with Owl at the lighthouse. They have many adventures outside and inside the Ocean House and even in the Trailer Office which was across the street. The church mice admire their new friends Mort and Max. They are in awe of their escapades and while they realize it is the goal of the cousins to get back in the new Ocean House, they secretly want them to say in the chapel. Life is much more exciting with them cavorting around. Once the hotel is almost completed they are able to get in the building through the front entryway. While they admire the replications like the fireplace, they find the floors much too slippery and even though some things are familiar, they get confused and lost. This problem coupled with the pest control boxes omnipresent on the beautiful new landscaping, convinces the mice to go back to the chapel and the friendly mice who made them feel so welcome there. That elegant yellow hotel across the street will be a nice place to visit, however.

Ardith (Ardi) Schneider grew up in Scotia, New York and received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Oneonta State University. For her Masters and 7th year she attended Central Connecticut State University for Art Education and Tunxis Community College in Farmington among other educational institutions for Photoshop and graphics. Mrs. Schneider taught art in Connecticut public and private schools, retiring in 2006. Besides her art work (painting and clay tiles) in numerous shows, she collaborated on two coffee table books: Watch Hill Then and Now and A Penny for Your Thoughts Those were self published as well as Mortimer Mouse of the Ocean House and its sequel Mortimer Mouse and the NEW Ocean House The message brought forth in the Mortimer books is adapting positively to change and that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Awards and honors through the years include: Red Feather, Outstanding Young Woman of America, Citation, General Assembly, State of Connecticut, and YWCA Women in Leadership Award, New Britain, Connecticut. Ardi now winters in Vero Beach, Florida and summers in Watch Hill, Rhode Island with her husband, Scott. Her family includes three grown sons and four grandchildren.