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Library | Material Type | Item Barcode | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library | Juvenile Picture Book Hardback | 120791002193306 | J P COX | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Every morning at school, Mrs. Millie says, "Please hang up your book bugs."
The kindergarteners know she means book bags, and they laugh whenever their teacher talks silly. On Mrs Millie's birthday, the children decide to throw a surprise party. They decorate the classroom with baboons (balloons) and set out chocolate cubcakes (cupcakes) and apple moose (juice). Mrs. Millie has never enjoyed such a wonderful bird-day! The illustrations rendered in Prismacolor pencil, dyes, pen, and ink highlight the fun in this classroom romp.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-It's Mrs. Millie's birthday, and her students want to surprise her with a party. They imagine all the things she will exclaim over, including their baboon decorations (really, they're balloons) and the adorable cubcakes (cupcakes). But when Mrs. Millie arrives, she turns the tables with a few surprises of her own. Like the previous "Mrs. Millie" titles (Marshall Cavendish), this picture book has whimsical wordplay. Cox has a good formula for keeping it fresh-sometimes the children initiate the funny phrases, and sometimes it's the teacher: "Are all these pheasants for me?" The text is exuberant and energetic, and readers will be swept up in the merriment. Mathieu's illustrations interpret the phrases literally; pheasants pour out of a gift box, with one peering into Mrs. Millie's face. The "apple moose" is priceless, with a bewildered look on the animal's face as children fill their glasses from its barrel stomach. Mrs. Millie would pair well with absentminded Amelia Bedelia for successful word lessons or storytimes.-Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Beloved kindergarten teacher Mrs. Millie has a thing for malapropisms, so her students decide to throw a birthday party for her in this vein (they blow up "baboons," not "balloons," etc.). With a nod--a bow, really--to the Amelia Bedelia books, this latest offering about Mrs. Millie isn't all that funny. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Mrs. Millie's silliness with mixed-up words continues as her students plan a few birthday surprises, and this time, it is not just Mrs. Millie who gets her words wrong (Don't Be Silly, Mrs. Millie!, 2005, etc.). The kids begin it by having their parents help them "decorate the classroom with colorful baboons. / Oh! We mean balloons." They lay out treats, knowing that Mrs. Millie will call them "cubcakes" when she sees them, and lay in a good supply of "apple moose" to drink. Then it's time for the party. They surprise Mrs. Millie and go through all the normal birthday rituals--presents, cake, blowing out the candle, making a wish and playing games. Every spread save one features some sort of word mix-up, whether based on rhymes (moose and juice) or just words that sound similar (camel and candle). Cox's text leans heavily on Mathieu's brightly colored pencil-and-watercolor illustrations for humor, and he definitely delivers. The zany mash-ups he creates are sure to elicit giggles in readers, though they may not last through repeated readings once they get over the novelty. His cast of characters includes a mix of skin colors, though it would have been nice if their facial expressions were just as varied. While the schtick may be getting a little old for everyday readers, clever teachers could turn this into a creative writing/art lesson that works for multiple grade levels. (Picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Mrs. Millie is really silly. Her kindergarteners know that and love it. Every morning Mrs. Millie asks her students to hang up their book bugs, but they know that she means their book bags. Mathieu extends the humor with images of backpacks that do look exactly like bugs, and he throws in a few extra bugs for laughs. With their parents' help, the students throw Mrs. Millie a birthday party, featuring cubcakes and apple moose, while baboons float overhead. This book is an extended exercise in letting the littlest kids in the room get the joke. Kids will enjoy laughing along with the wordplay, even as they pick up the message about how important just one small letter or one small person can be. Children who loved Jez Alborough's Duck in the Truck (2000) will appreciate this.--Russell, Mary Copyright 2010 Booklist