Teaching Mrs. Muddle / by Colleen Nelson ; illustrated by Alice Carter.

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Title:

Author:

Nelson, Colleen

Carter, Alice

ISBN:

9781772781311

Edition:

First edition.

Publication Information:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada : Pajama Press, 2020.

Physical Description:

1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill.

Abstract:

Kayla is worried about missing home or getting lost on the first day of kindergarten but is quickly distracted by the need to help her teacher get through the day. Humorously, the reader sees what Kayla does not: that Mrs. Muddle?s frequent mistakes as she shows them around the school and introduces routines are deliberate ploys to encourage her students? leadership potential. With Kayla?s help, the class experiences the library, office, gym, and playground as well as centers in the kindergarten classroom.

Subject Term:

Kindergarten -- Juvenile fiction.

First day of school -- Juvenile fiction.

Kindergarten teachers -- Juvenile fiction.

Helping behavior -- Juvenile fiction.

Added Author:

Carter, Alice

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Juvenile Picture Book Hardback	120791002848145	J P NEL	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Fall in love at first blunder with a wisely foolish kindergarten teacher who makes the first day of school an experience to remember.

Kayla isn't too sure about the first day of kindergarten. What if she misses her mom? What if she can't find the bathroom? But when Kayla meets Mrs. Muddle, it quickly becomes clear that Kayla's problems are nothing compared to her teacher's. Mrs. Muddle mixes up the kids' name tags, takes them to the library instead of the gym, and can't find the bathroom. She doesn't even know how to use a slide properly! Clearly somebody needs to take charge. Soon Kayla is much too busy teaching her teacher to think about her own worries.

Hearkening back to classics like The Amelia Bedelia collection and Douglas Wood's What Teachers Can't Do , Colleen Nelson will make parents, children, and especially teachers laugh out loud over Mrs. Muddle's antics and the exasperated Kayla's leadership. As the students find their way around the school, Alice Carter's giggle-inducing art welcomes readers into a kindergarten class that makes the first day of school seem very appealing indeed.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2--The first day of school can be scary and very, very confusing, and not just for the students. Kayla, with straight dark brown hair and light brown skin, worries about her first day of kindergarten, unsure about the location of the bathroom and wondering what her mother will do without her for an entire day. But when Kayla and her mother arrive at school to find her new teacher, Mrs. Muddle, a white lady with red curls, handing name tags to the wrong children and reading a book upside down, Kayla takes charge to keep the class, their teacher, and the first day of school on track. Nelson embraces the nervousness of walking into a school for the first time and blends those feelings with the antics of a hapless teacher who would get along just fine with Amelia Bedelia. Friendly and colorful illustrations depict a diverse group of students with a zany teacher at the helm, dressed in polka dots from her pants to her vest to the headband desperately trying to hold back her hair. Children not yet old enough to read will be engrossed by the detailed images of all the places they may find in a school building. VERDICT This story is perfectly suited to settle some first day jitters, but will also be appreciated by teachers and parents who know what it takes to help children feel comfortable in new environments.--Erica Deb, Matawan Aberdeen P.L., NJ

Kirkus Review

It's Kayla's first day of kindergarten, and she's riddled with anxiety about all the mistakes she's sure she will make. Then Kayla meets her teacher, Mrs. Muddle, and realizes that she might not be the only one learning the ropes. Mrs. Muddle passes out all the nametags to the wrong students, reads the morning storybook upside down, and confuses the library with the gym. Every time she makes a mistake, Kayla corrects her by figuring out the answer on her own. By the time the day is over, Kayla is confident in her ability to navigate her new school. Nelson's narratorial voice is clear and charming, and the choice to illustrate Kayla as a dark-skinned girl of color is pleasing. The plot is not without its flaws, however. While Kayla claims to her mother after school that she made new friends, readers mostly see Kayla interacting with Mrs. Muddle, without the help of other students who might also be trying to correct their wayward teacher. Many of Kayla's classmates appear also to be children of color. This would be a commendable gesture to diversity except that it transforms the book into the story of how a White teacher seems to decide that the best way to assuage the first-day jitters of a set of diverse kindergartners is to feign incompetence, a tactic that comes across as condescending. Doesn't quite make the grade. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Excerpts

"Look, kids! It's the phys. Ed teacher, Mr. Blue," said Mrs. Muddle. "You mean Mr. Brown," he said and gave us high-fives. Before we could play tag, we had to learn the gym rules. Everyone followed them, except for Mrs. Muddle. We stopped our game to help her clean up. "Thanks, Mr. Black," she said. "Where to next, Kayla?" Excerpted from Teaching Mrs. Muddle by Colleen Nelson All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.