About the Author:
Margaret Mahy is a New Zealander who has been writing stories since she was seven. Twice winner of the Carnegie Medal, she qualified and worked as a librarian before devoting herself to full-time writing. She has written picture books for the very young (The Great White Man-Eating Shark and Making Friends), story collections and humorous novels (Nonstop Nonsense and The Birthday Burglar), and novels for teenagers (The Tricksters and Memory). In 1993 she was awarded The Order of New Zealand for her internationally acknowledged contribution to children's literature. Wendy Smith has illustrated books for distinguished writers, as well as writing and illustrating her own, which include The Witch Baby and The Lonely Only Mouse.
From School Library Journal:
Kindergarten-Grade 3-The alliterative title gives a clue to what's inside-12 short, short stories-and like a syncopated rhythm, they're slightly off-beat, zany, and also uneven in quality and appeal. However, all are inventive, imaginative, and pure Mahy. The first, "Poodlum Hoodlum," about a boy who eventually acquires the pet of his dreams, may be the best and most entertaining selection. Of the 11 tales that follow, all but one have been previously published, but few are available in the U.S. Although some are 20 years old, each retains the enchantment, magic, and suspension of belief to hook a new generation of listeners. Most children will delight in an island that becomes a boat; royalty who live in a broom closet; and a boy who becomes a bouncy red rubber ball. All of the stories are told in exuberant, descriptive language. Smith's watercolors appear on every page, scattered in different positions within and outside the text, engaging the eye and keeping interest alive. In one story, a nearly grown king whose strict upbringing has forbidden toys summons the royal librarian for advice on the perfect plaything-after all, "Librarians are meant to know everything." The stories are perfect read alouds.
Harriett Fargnoli, Great Neck Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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