Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Book Review: Great Bedtime stories for all ages
Summary: 5 Stars
I grew up with Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and so have my children. There are wonderful short stories that the whole family can enjoy and then discuss. There are some gramatical errors, but the life stories are worth reading time and time again! I'd recommend this series of books for any children's library.Book Review: Great Memory Maker
Summary: 4 Stars
If you would like something for your kids that you can, 15 years down the road, pull out of a box when your kid is moving and have it bring back fond memories, this is it. This book is magic itself, and is great for kids, adults, and teachers. I still remember my 2nd grade teacher reading us Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle!Book Review: Great books for ages 6 and up
Summary: 4 Stars
This book and the others in the "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle" series all focus on gently humorous tales of a lovable old widow who specializes in helping parents resolve their kids' minor "behavior problems." When a child doesn't want to take a bath, do the dishes or some other thing that his or her parents have quite reasonably asked, and then not-so-reasonably ordered, that child to do, the harassed parents call upon Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, who always finds a way to make the chore fun or show the child the awful consequences of not doing what she's supposed to do. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is very wise and persuasive and has the answers to every dilemma. The chapters are short and all follow the same pattern so these are fun books for digesting chapter-by-chapter. My friends and I loved these books when we were in the primary grades at school and we just adored Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.
I would caution that these books are probably not for very young children. The misbehavior of the kids in the stories is pretty graphically depicted and you want to be sure the child is old enough to grasp the lesson involved rather than just act out the bad behavior. I would recommend the books for age 6 and up.
I am also giving this edition only 4 stars because while I think the books are 5-star books, the new jacket designs pictured on Amazon do not appear to have been done by Hilary Knight and Maurice Sendak, who did the original illustrations that I really loved as a kid (and that hopefully are still used inside the book). I'm not a fan of tarting classic books up with new illustrations and I think the new covers are frankly ugly. If you'd like the "classic" Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, buy the box set with the dust jackets I remember from childhood. I gave the box set 5 stars.
Book Review: Great!
Summary: 4 Stars
I think that this book is one of the kind. I like how the author combines magic and realisitc stiuations into one big story like turning a spoiled brat into a sweet little child with just a bottle of magic formula.Book Review: If Only Problems Went Away This Easily
Summary: 5 Stars
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is the neighbor everyone wishes they had. She's the widow of a pirate, lives in an upside down house, and is always ready for a tea party with freshly baked cookies. She's such an expert on kids that parents have started calling on her wisdom to cure their kids when they start misbehaving. And whether it's making chores into a game or getting kids to take a bath, she's sure to have the answer to make everyone happy again.I loved these books as a kid, and this book is just as fun now. The stories fall into a predictable pattern, but that hardly diminishes their enjoyment. Each chapter is a self-contained story, so it's easy to read just a little bit at a time. Unlike other books in the series that feature magic cures, these stories feature what I recognize now as psychology to cure the kids. The humor comes from the exaggeration of the problem and what the child goes through to get "cured." For example, the parent's fighting in the "Fighter Quarrelers Cure" or the tiny dishes in the "Slow Eater Tiny Bite Taker Cure." Heck, by the time the "Never Want to go to Bedders" are cured, they are actually begging to go to bed at their normal bedtime.
Reading the book as an adult, I got a few good laughs out of the names of the parent's friends. I also found it interesting that very few of the adults have an identity apart from their kids. Then again, as a kid's novel, it presents a kid's eye view of the world. I hope these books continue to entertain for years to come.