![Julie Andrews and Daughter Emma Walton Hamilton on Family, Theater, and Writing Books That Make Kids Smile [Exclusive]](https://parade.com/.image/c_fit%2Ch_800%2Cw_1200/ODowMDAwMDAwMDAxMjQzMDAz/emma-walton-hamilton-and-julie-andrews.jpg "Julie Andrews and Daughter Emma Walton Hamilton on Family, Theater, and Writing Books That Make Kids Smile [Exclusive]")
WhenJulie Andrewsand her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton embark on a new book project, it all begins with happy banter, an outline, pots of piping hot tea, and, of course, lots of joyous laughter.
Their latest book, The Great American Mousical, [140 pages, Abrams Books] is a charming family affair filled with adorable mice—with memorable character names—who perform on the Broadway stage at a precarious time in the theater’s history.
Since the New York Times bestselling mother-daughter team has been writing together for 25 years, completing some 37 books, they are clearly in sync, so much so that they readily admit to finishing one another’s sentences.
When they sit down to begin a new project, they first brainstorm the story. Then, Hamilton is the scribe who types while they tell it aloud.
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“When children read this book, we hope it will help them become interested, passionate, and curious about the theater, and find their own way into loving it,” Andrews exclusively tells Parade. “It is also an entertaining educational tool. As writers, we also enjoy being teachers.”
The Great American Mousical, book jacket. Illustrator: Tony WaltonIn this story, the star of a Broadway theater troupe of mice disappears just before opening night. With this delightful cast, we follow a daring adventure and welcome a brave new hero. In the heart of the great metropolis of New York City, the bright lights of Broadway shine.
Beneath the Sovereign theater, in the basement, there is a long-forgotten architect’s model—the Sovereign’s miniature replica—where an adorable troupe of theater mice busily prepare to stage their own show, Broadway Airs.
Among the cast and crew are Emil, the director; Harold, the character actor; Adelaide, the diva; and young Pippin, the intern. Rehearsals are in their usual state of chaos when suddenly the production is threatened by the imminent demolition of the theater and the devastating disappearance of Adelaide.As it gets closer to opening night, everyone involved is worried about whether the little Sovereign will survive. How can they pull off the most important night in mouse theater history without their star? Somehow, the show must go on!
Related: Beloved Hollywood Legend Julie Andrews Celebrates 90th Birthday and She’s Still ‘Practically Perfect in Every Way’
All of this harkens back to Andrews’ Broadway and film roots, including starring roles in her first film, Mary Poppins, and soon after, The Sound of Music. These are two classics, which, after 60 years, are still beloved today.
Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Why does Andrews believe these movies still resonate with audiences six decades after they were first released? “I think they are basically books about love and making children realize that they are very important,” she said of Mary Poppins.
“The children have such respect for the character of Mary Poppins and eventually, even though she is pert and a little strict, they see she is actually full of goodwill and a good heart.”
Hamilton adds that “the character [of Mary Poppins] makes the children feel like they matter, even when their parents are too busy to do so.” She adds that the quality of the songs and the filmmaking make it timeless. “But it all starts with a story, and both of these are pretty good stories that have proven themselves on the stage before they became movies.”
The Sound of Music, Andrews says, is “all about love and affection for the arts and one’s homeland. Eidelweiss is such a beautiful song and one of my favorites from the show.”
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Andrews began her Broadway career in The Boyfriend, My Fair Lady, and Camelot. She eagerly passed on her passion for the theater to Hamilton, who, with her husband Stephen, built and ran a theater in Sag Harbor, New York, for 17 years. She also acted, directed, and produced many shows.
An illustration from The Great American Mousical. Illustrated By Tony Walton“So, we’re both coming to it with a great deal of experience. What was a great deal of fun was that we cast the various mouse characters in our minds as we were writing,” Hamilton explained.
“We put wonderful actors that we imagined playing the parts, and that helped us visualize who the characters were, and we leaned into every theatre troupe we could think of so that it would be a loving valentine to the theater.”
A different version of The Great American Mousical, which was published in mid-October, was first written in 2010, but later went out of print. Abrams Books invited Andrews and Hamilton to update and re-print it, something that writers rarely get the opportunity to do.
They also updated and colorized the original line drawings from Hamilton’s father (Andrews' first husband), three-time Tony Award-winning set designer, the late Tony Walton. All of this made it feel like a new book to the collaborators.
Related:Former ‘Sound of Music’ Child Actress Shares Throwback Photo from Austria 60 Years Later
Andrews shared that Walton also did the designs and illustrations for Mary Poppins, including the costumes and houses, which was also his first movie.
Another aspect of the book is that the authors have created it for the stage. There is a musical version of The Great American Mousical, which Andrews has enjoyed directing several times.
“It is such a sweet theater musical,” Andrews says proudly, “and it’s for both adults and children—it has a double-edge to it, doesn’t it?”
Andrews is still voicing the narrator for the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton, from a sound booth in her Long Island home, which was expertly designed by Hamilton’s son, Sam, a filmmaker and sound engineer. Netflix recently announced that Part 1 of Season 4 will drop on Jan. 29, 2026, and Part 2 of Season 4 on Feb. 26, 2026.
Related: ‘Bridgerton’ Reveals Season 4 Two-Part Release Date and Official Teaser Trailer
When it comes to overall life advice, Andrews says it is important to her that there is still so much she wants to do and get accomplished, including more books, so she “doesn’t want to waste too much time. My best legacy is to have made somebody’s day better; to have made someone smile.”
An illustration from The Great American Mousical. Illustrated By Tony WaltonWhen asked what lessons readers may learn from the book, Hamilton said, “the theater matters, that there is value to it, and it is an important part of life to be cherished and appreciated.” This message is certainly appropriate at a time when schools throughout the nation are cutting back on after-school activities, including drama, music, and the other arts.
These authors are hopeful they have “spun a good yarn,” and made it stimulating enough to make children want to go to the theatre.
“What we would most love at the end of the read is for the child to say, ‘Hey, Mom, can we go see a show?’ says Hamilton. “And then the theater bug could be born in the next generation.”
“The fact that these mice could save a Broadway theater, not just mice, but the smallest mouse of the mice, could be so instrumental in saving the theater tells us that, ‘It doesn’t matter how small you are, you can still make a contribution, ” adds Hamilton.
Andrews believes a strong message from their new book is that “something so small [these tiny mice] can make such a big difference!”
The Great American Mousical is available wherever books are sold.
Next: The 116 Best Kids Books of All Time
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