Graham Oakley's picture book introduces Arthur, a mouse who lives alone in a church vestry and befriends Sampson, the elderly church cat who has given up hunting. Arthur's scheme to invite homeless mice to share the church's warmth seems ideal until the mice's nighttime activities—dripping on hymn books, leaving crumbs everywhere—attract human notice. The congregation votes to get rid of the mice, forcing Arthur and Sampson to find a way to prove the mice's value. Oakley's illustrations reward close attention: while the text tells one story, the pictures reveal additional narratives and jokes playing out in the margins. His mice have distinct personalities visible in their postures and expressions, and his depictions of church life gently satirize English village society. The resolution involves the mice heroically defending the church's silver from burglars, earning community acceptance through demonstrated worth. The story operates on multiple levels: children enjoy the talking animals and slapstick situations, while adults appreciate the commentary on immigration, community belonging, and how outsiders must prove themselves to suspicious insiders. Oakley went on to write many more Church Mice adventures, but this first book establishes the combination of cozy setting, subtle wit, and genuine warmth that made the series beloved. The friendship between predator and prey, impossible yet rendered believable, embodies the book's optimism about unlikely community.