The author of The Egg and I has established a reputation as a topnotch story teller, so why shouldn't she be a "natural" when it comes to entertaining children- her own and others- with entrancing tales. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a woman of talent. She knows how to make bad children good, and her amusing "cures" for common children's misdemeanors are very delightful sugar- coating to "how-to-be-good-little-girls-and-boys". Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle likes to have children dig for treasure among her petunias, try on her high heeled shoes, eat her goodies, play pirate (her husband was a pirate, you see). She has so many delightful customs it really is no wonder the children adore her. And it is a tribute to the author's skill that though these are undeniably tales with morals, the results are so hilarious and good-humored, the caricature so safe and unmalicious, that children and adults will laugh rather more than they learn, and learn more than they will admit. I shouldn't be surprised if Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is here to stay. But I hope the next book won't be illustrated by Richard Bennett, who has a sort of grimness and datedness about his pictures that are out of key with the text.
Pub Date: March 26, 1947
ISBN: 0064401480
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Lippincott
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1947
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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Little Blue Truck feels, well, blue when he delivers valentine after valentine but receives nary a one.
His bed overflowing with cards, Blue sets out to deliver a yellow card with purple polka dots and a shiny purple heart to Hen, one with a shiny fuchsia heart to Pig, a big, shiny, red heart-shaped card to Horse, and so on. With each delivery there is an exchange of Beeps from Blue and the appropriate animal sounds from his friends, Blue’s Beeps always set in blue and the animal’s vocalization in a color that matches the card it receives. But as Blue heads home, his deliveries complete, his headlight eyes are sad and his front bumper droops ever so slightly. Blue is therefore surprised (but readers may not be) when he pulls into his garage to be greeted by all his friends with a shiny blue valentine just for him. In this, Blue’s seventh outing, it’s not just the sturdy protagonist that seems to be wilting. Schertle’s verse, usually reliable, stumbles more than once; stanzas such as “But Valentine’s Day / didn’t seem much fun / when he didn’t get cards / from anyone” will cause hitches during read-alouds. The illustrations, done by Joseph in the style of original series collaborator Jill McElmurry, are pleasant enough, but his compositions often feel stiff and forced.
Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-27244-1
Page Count: 20
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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