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KARINA'S VERHAAL

Het Muizenhuis is met de hand gemaakt door kunstenares Karina Schaapman (1960). Karina wilde een kinderboek maken. Niet met illustraties, maar met foto’s van scènes uit haar Muizenhuis. Het verhaal van Sam en Julia had ze al bedacht.

IN 2008 BEGON KARINA AAN HET EERSTE MUIZENHUIS

She built it out of cardboard boxes and recycled materials. Room by room this world of mice became larger en more realistic. After three years of building almost fulltime the first Mouse Mansion was completed. The original mansion is two meters wide and three meters tall. In 2011 Karina's dream became a reality. Her Mouse Mansion was photographed and the first book in The Mouse Mansion series was published: Sam en Julia.

Now there are twentytwo books published, and the original Mouse Mansion is on display in the Mouse Mansion shop & mini museum in Amsterdam.

She built it out of cardboard boxes and recycled materials. Room by room this world of mice became larger en more realistic. After three years of building almost fulltime the first Mouse Mansion was completed. The original mansion is two meters wide and three meters tall. In 2011 Karina's dream became a reality. Her Mouse Mansion was photographed and the first book in The Mouse Mansion series was published: Sam en Julia.

Now there are twentytwo books published, and the original Mouse Mansion is on display in the Mouse Mansion shop & mini museum in Amsterdam.

Karina's world

Julia's appartement is largely based on Karina's childhood home. This home filled with love and creativity forms the foundation of the Mouse Mansion. Loads of Mouse Mansion stories find their origin in Karina's childhood memories. She is the daughter of a single mother, an immigrant from Indonesia. The loving atmosphere in their home was set in sharp contrast to the outside world, where both Karina and her mother were heavily discriminated against. With The Mouse Mansion Karina has created the world of inclusivity and friendship that she so desperately wanted as a child.

"Het Muizenhuis is de wereld waarin ik zou willen dat elk kind opgroeit."

Julia's appartement is largely based on Karina's childhood home. This home filled with love and creativity forms the foundation of the Mouse Mansion. Loads of Mouse Mansion stories find their origin in Karina's childhood memories. She is the daughter of a single mother, an immigrant from Indonesia. The loving atmosphere in their home was set in sharp contrast to the outside world, where both Karina and her mother were heavily discriminated against. With The Mouse Mansion Karina has created the world of inclusivity and friendship that she so desperately wanted as a child.

In haar eigen woorden: "Het Muizenhuis is de wereld waarin ik zou willen dat elk kind opgroeit."

IN HET MUIZENHUIS...

...ben je veilig
....is nieuwsgierig de norm
...is anders niet eng
...zorgen we voor elkaar

EEN VIDEO OVER KARINA

A family run company

These days Karina is not alone in her efforts to spread the philosophy behind The Mouse Mansion. Since 2018 her four children are a large part of this journey. Family run business The Mouse Mansion Company is actively pursuing dreams of introducing Sam, Julia and their neighbours to the whole world.

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