Geronimo Stilton is an Italian children's chapter book series created by Elisabetta Dami[1] and written under the pen name of the title character. Scholastic Corporation began publishing the English version of the series in the US in February 2004. In the UK, the English books are published by Sweet Cherry Publishing. The series is set on a fictional version of Earth dominated by anthropomorphicmice and rats and focuses on the title character, a mouse who lives in New Mouse City on Mouse Island. A best-selling author in-universe, Geronimo Stilton,[2] works as editor and publisher for the newspaper, The Rodent's Gazette. He has a younger sister named Thea Stilton,[3] a cousin named Trap Stilton,[3] and a nephew, nine-year-old Benjamin Stilton. Geronimo is a nervous, mild-mannered mouse who prefers a quiet life, yet keeps getting into faraway adventures with Thea, Trap, and Benjamin in both fictional and real locations. The books are written as fictional memoirs of him on these adventures. The books are designed and distributed in full color, depicting important words in the text as colored and in illustrative typefaces.[4]
The series, combined with many spin-off series, has sold over 180 million copies worldwide, and with over 200 entries. The series has also been adapted into an animated television series of the same name, theatrical shows, and video games. There are 309 books in total, including spin-offs.
In the 1990s, Elisabetta Dami found herself unable to have children, so she volunteered at children's hospitals to deal with that. Inspired by Patch Adams, who participates in Clown Care, she told humorous and adventurous stories starring the character of Geronimo Stilton and teaching morals to entertain patients. They appeared to love the stories, which would lead to her writing and publishing such stories.[5]
This character was born from my heart to bring me closer to a dream I sadly was not able to fulfil: that of having children. ... I started doing volunteer work with sick children. It was at the time when an American doctor called Patch Adams taught us that children need to laugh in order to recover ... I invented and told funny stories about a clumsy mouse that had lots of adventures, with twists in the plots and guaranteed happy endings. I wanted to entertain children, see their eyes bristling with joy and create a bridge toward enchantment. It was already Geronimo, the shy mouse that ... naturally, as a firm believer in teamwork, ended up calling on the help of his many friends. Thanks to him I became a mum to millions of children and experienced the friendship that helps one achieve everything, as well as honesty and sincerity that instill value in every single gesture, not to mention the curiosity and sense of adventure that keep you going.[6]
Geronimo Stilton is the protagonist, and editor and publisher for The Rodent's Gazette, the most famous newspaper on New Mouse Island. He has a love of knowledge and has a strong sense of ethics and morals. Geronimo doesn't like to go on adventures with his family and friends, although he is passionate about writing adventure stories, which sell well in-universe. He was adopted by the Stilton family when he was young.
Thea Stilton is Geronimo's adoptive younger sister and special correspondent for The Rodent's Gazette. Thea taught a journalism class at Mouseford Academy to five mice, Nicky, Colette, Violet, Paulina, and Pamela who would name their group after her as the Thea Sisters and chronicle adventures of their own in the series Thea Stilton. She was also adopted by the Stilton family when she was young with her biological brother, Geronimo Stilton.
Trap Stilton is Geronimo's cousin who travels along with him when he's called on. He is the owner of the thrift store Cheap Junk for Less and is often mentioned as a chef.
Benjamin Stilton is Geronimo and Thea's young 9-year-old nephew and often comes along with him on his many adventures.
William Shortpaws, also known as Cheap Mouse Willy, is the founder of The Rodent's Gazette and Geronimo's grandfather. He adopted Geronimo and Thea Stilton when they were young.
Sally Ratmousen is a recurring antagonist and publisher of The Daily Rat, The Rodent's Gazette's biggest competitor. Her grandmother, Molly Ratmousen, founded The Daily Rat at the same time as The Rodent's Gazette's founding.
Creepella von Cacklefur is an enchanting and mysterious mouse who lives in Mysterious Valley and works both as a special effects designer for scary films and haunted houses and as a journalist. She is the protagonist of her own spin-off series with the same name. She has a crush on Geronimo.
Professor Paws von Volt is a scientist and Geronimo's friend.
Petunia Pretty Paws (original name Patty Spring) is a TV reporter and an environmentalist, whom Geronimo has a crush on. She also has a pesky niece, named Bugsy Wugsy.
Hercule Poirat (a pun on Hercule Poirot, original name Noseymouse Squeak) is Geronimo's childhood friend and private investigator of New Mouse City, bringing him on many of his cases. He has a crush on his sister, Thea.
Wolfgang Wild Paws: is Petunia's twin brother and a TV producer, who is an environmentalist, like his sister.
Bruce Hyena is a parachutist, adventurer, and Geronimo's adventurous friend who likes to sign him up on many crazy adventures. He also has a crush on his sister, Thea.
Shorty Tao is Bruce Hyena's cousin, the managing editor of The Rodent's Gazette, and she has a little brother, Baby Tao.
The Paws family lived on a farm for many generations in the Giant Sequoia Valley, in Dolphin Bay. They are good friends with the Stiltons.
Bugsy Wugsy (original name Pandora Woz) is the daughter of John Wugsy and Furry Paws and Benjamin's best friend.
Grandfather Paws is well-versed in natural sciences and once travelled the world in search of rare butterflies.
Grandmother Paws at a young age, she travelled all over the world when planes were not built yet.
Teddy Paws is the son of Grandfather and Grandmother Paws and brother of Bobby Paws.
Jenny Littlepaw is Teddy's wife.
Tom Paws is the son of Teddy and Jenny.
Lucy Vally is Tom's wife.
Lilly, Lally, and Lolly Paws are the daughters of Lucy and Tom. Lilly is five, Lally is seven, and Lolly is eleven.
Bobby Paws is the son of Grandfather and Grandmother Paws and brother of Teddy Paws.
Suzy Rattella is Bobby's wife.
Furry Paws is the daughter of Bobby and Suzy and sister of Petunia and Wolfgang.
The Phoenix of Destiny: An Epic Kingdom of Fantasy Adventure (September 2015, originally published in 2013 in Italy as Grande ritorno nel regno della fantasia)
The Dragon of Fortune: An Epic Kingdom of Fantasy Adventure (September 2017, originally published in 2015 in Italy as Grande ritorno nel regno della fantasia 2)
The series is aimed toward female audiences and focuses on the Thea Sisters, a group of five friends who are from different continents and were the students of Thea Stilton.
Thea Stilton and the Dragon's Code (April 2009, originally published in 2005 in Italy as Il Codice del Drago)
Thea Stilton and the Mountain of Fire (September 2009, originally published in 2006 in Italy as la Montagna Parlante)
Thea Stilton and the Ghost of the Shipwreck (March 2010, originally published in 2007 in Italy as Il Vascello Fantasma)
Thea Stilton and the Secret City (June 2010, originally published in 2006 in Italy as La Città Segreta)
Thea Stilton and the Mystery in Paris (November 2010, originally published in 2007 in Italy as Mistero a Parigi)
Thea Stilton and the Cherry Blossom Adventure (March 2011, originally published in 2009 in Italy as Il mistero della bambola nera)
Thea Stilton and the Star Castaways (June 2011, originally published in 2008 in Italy as NeraI Naufraghi Delle Stelle)
Thea Stilton: Big Trouble in the Big Apple (September 2011, originally published in 2007 in Italy as Grosso Guaio a New York)
Thea Stilton and the Ice Treasure (December 2011, originally published in 2008 in Italy as Il tesoro di ghiaccio)
Thea Stilton and the Secret of the Old Castle (March 2012, originally published in 2009 in Italy as il segreto del castello scozzese)
Thea Stilton and the Blue Scarab Hunt (June 2012, originally published in 2009 in Italy as Caccia allo scarabeo blu)
Thea Stilton and the Prince's Emerald (September 2012, originally published in 2010 in Italy as lo smeraldo del principe indiano)
Thea Stilton and the Mystery on the Orient Express (December 2012, originally published in 2010 in Italy as Mistero sull'Orient Express)
Thea Stilton and the Dancing Shadows (March 2013, originally published in 2011 in Italy as Mistero dietro le quinte)
Thea Stilton and the Legend of the Fire Flowers (June 2013, originally published in 2011 in Italy as La leggenda dei fiori di fuoco)
Thea Stilton and the Spanish Dance Mission (September 2013, originally published in 2012 in Italy as Mission Flamenco)
Thea Stilton and the Journey to the Lion's Den (December 2013, originally published in 2012 in Italy as Cinque amiche per un leone)
Thea Stilton and the Great Tulip Heist (March 2014, originally published in 2013 in Italy as Sulle tracce del tulipano nero)
Thea Stilton and the Chocolate Sabotage (June 2014, originally published in 2013 in Italy as Una cascata di cioccolato!)
Thea Stilton and the Missing Myth (December 2014, originally published in 2014 in Italy as I segreti dell'Olimpo)
Thea Stilton and the Lost Letters (June 2015, originally published in 2014 in Italy as Amore alla corte degli zar)
Thea Stilton and the Tropical Treasure (December 2015, originally published in 2015 in Italy as Avventura ai Caraibi)
Thea Stilton and the Hollywood Hoax (June 2016, originally published in 2015 in Italy as Colpo di scena a Hollywood)
Thea Stilton and the Madagascar Madness (December 2016, originally published in 2015 in Italy as Mistero in Madagascar)
Thea Stilton and the Frozen Fiasco (June 2017, originally published in 2015 in Italy as Inseguimento Tra I Ghiacci)
Thea Stilton and the Venice Masquerade (December 2017, originally published in 2015 in Italy as Carnevale a Venezia)
Thea Stilton and the Niagara Splash (May 2018, originally published in 2016 in Italy as Missione Niagara)
Thea Stilton and the Riddle of the Ruins (December 2018, originally published in 2016 in Italy as Il tesoro scomparso)
Thea Stilton and the Phantom of the Orchestra (June 2019, originally published in 2016 in Italy as Due cuori a Londra)
Thea Stilton and the Black Forest Burglary (December 2019, originally published in 2017 in Italy as Il segreto della Foresta Nera)
Thea Stilton and the Race for the Gold (June 2020, originally published in 2016 in Italy as Sognando le Olimpiadi)
Thea Stilton and the Rainforest Rescue (1 December 2020, originally published in 2018 in Italy as Destinazione Malesia)
Thea Stilton and the American Dream (18 May 2021, originally published in 2019 in Italy as Avventura negli U.S.A)
Thea Stilton and the Roman Holiday (21 September 2021, originally published in 2017 in Italy as Caccia al tesoro a Roma)
Thea Stilton and the Fiesta in Mexico (7 June 2022, originally published in 2017 in Italy as Viaggio in Messico)
Thea Stilton and the Cave of Stars (3 October 2023, originally published in 2019 in Italy as La Grotta Delle Stelle)
Thea Stilton and the Ghost of the Woods (12 November 2024, originally published in 2018 in Italy as La legenda del fantasma Irlandese)
Thea Stilton and the Search for the Secret Garden (1 July 2025, originally published in 2023 in Italy as Appuntamento a Parigi)
The series focuses on Geronimo Superstilton and the Heromice, a team of superheroes who live in Muskrat City and watch over the crimes prevailing in the city.
Mice to the Rescue (July 2014, originally published in 2012 in Italy as "Fermi tutti, superscamorze in arrivo! ")
Robot Attack (November 2014, originally published in 2013 in Italy as "La carica dei robottini puzzoni")
Flood Mission (March 2015, originally published in 2013 in Italy as "Missione speciale... diluvio universale!")
The Perilous Plants (July 2015, originally published in 2013 in Italy as "Il superattacco delle margherite zannute")
The Invisible Thief (November 2015, originally published in 2014 in Italy as "Due supertopi contro il ladro invisibile")
Dinosaur Danger (November 2016, originally published in 2014 in Italy as "Polpette di supertopo per il T-Rex")
Time Machine Trouble (March 2017, originally published in 2014 in Italy as "SuperGer e la supermacchina del tempo")
Charge of the Clones (May 2017, originally published in 2015 in Italy as "Superallarme, Supertopo in fuga!")
Insect Invasion (July 2017, originally published in 2015 in Italy as "S.O.S. Superinsetti all'assalto")
Sweet Dreams, Sewer Rats! (December 2017, originally published in 2015 in Italy as "La lunga notte dei Supertopi ")
Revenge of the Mini-Mice! (February 2018, originally published in 2016 in Italy as "Mini-Topi contro Maxi-Pantegane")
The series is set in the Viking Age and stars Geronimo Stiltonord, who lives in the village of Mouseborg and faces fiery, mouse-eating dragons every day.
Attack of the Dragons (April 2016, originally published in 2014 in Italy as Sei ciccia per draghi)
The Famouse Fjord Race (August 2016, originally published in 2014 in Italy as Scattare scattareee... Geronimord!)
Pull the Dragon's Tooth! (December 2016, originally published in 2014 in Italy as Toglilo tu, il dente al dragante!)
Stay Strong, Geronimo! (April 2017, originally published in 2015 in Italy as La rivincita delle topinghe!)
The Mysterious Message (August 2017, originally published in 2015 in Italy as Nella terra degli uffa uffa)
The Helmet Holdup (December 2017, originally published in 2015 in Italy as Chi ha rubato l'elmo Topingo?)
The Dragon Crown (April 2018, originally published in 2016 in Italy as la corona dei draganti)
The Great Miceking Stone (November 2018, originally published in 2017 in Italy as Il mistero della pietra topinga)
Taking the place of the original graphic novels, the Geronimo Stilton Reporter series are adaptations of episodes from the Geronimo Stilton animated series, which ended the year before the first entry was published.
Publishers Weekly's review of Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye praised the book for its fast pace, chapter format, full-color design, and usage of colored typefaces.[4]Kirkus Reviews' review of the Special Edition book The Hunt for the Hundredth Key states that "the simplistic mysteries and silly jokes are in line with other series outings, 'special edition' status notwithstanding."[9] Its review of Geronimo on Ice! found it to be average, criticizing the plot holes, and remarks that it "skates by without landing any impressive tricks."[10]
Kirkus Reviews' reviews of Cavemice entry The Stone of Fire and Spacemice entry Alien Escape were positive, albeit criticized the slow pacing at the beginning of the former.[11][12] Its review of Creepella Von Cacklefur entry Fright Night felt the plot wasn't "the strongest of Stilton spinoffs".[13] Its review of The Kingdom of Fantasy entry The Enchanted Charms was mixed, criticizing the plot for not being original and appealing enough, but praising the art and incorporation of puzzles.[14]
There are also audiobooks of the Geronimo Stilton books published by Scholastic Audio Books, available on CD and as downloadables through various services such as OverDrive and Audible. There are three stories in the first three collections (1–3, 4–6, 7–9), book 10 is sold by itself, and the remaining books are sold in pairs (11–12, 13–14, 15–16, 17–18, 20–21, 22 and 24, 25–26). Books 1 through 10 are read by Edward Herrmann. Books 11–18, 20–22 and 24, and 25–26 are read by Bill Lobley.
An animated series of the same name debuted in Italy on 15 September 2009.[15] The show ran for 78 episodes across three seasons (26 episodes for each season) with the series finale airing on 28 February 2017.
In 2016, Oregon Children's Theatre produced Geronimo Stilton: Mouse in Space, a world-premiere adaptation of Mouse in Space! by John Maclay, and the first live-action production of Geronimo Stilton media in the United States.[19] The production was performed in Canada in 2018.[20]
Sony Computer Entertainment partnered with Virtual Toys to develop two video games based on The Kingdom of Fantasy series for PlayStation Portable. The first, Geronimo Stilton in the Kingdom of Fantasy, was released in Europe on 3 November 2011.[21] The follow-up, Geronimo Stilton: Return to the Kingdom of Fantasy, was released in the continent on 31 October 2012.[22] In North America, both titles were released exclusively on the PlayStation Store on 16 July 2013.[23]
A film based on Geronimo Stilton has been in development since 2002.[24]
In February 2023, Radar Pictures acquired the rights to make a feature film based on Geronimo Stilton. The film is a co-production between Radar and Italian company Atlantyca Entertainment, which also produced the television series, with DreamWorks Animation veteran David Soren attached to write and direct and Anthony Tringali, Michael Napoliello and Maria Frisk set to produce under Radar Pictures.[25]