Mrs. Muddle's Holidays

Mrs. Muddle's Holidays

Katie's neighbor Mrs. Muddle declares more holidays than anyone else, and she celebrates them in style. In March, she makes peanut-butter-and-birdseed cookies for the birds to enjoy on First Robin Day. The next month, she and Katie dance in the rain during First Shower of April. As the year goes on, Mrs. Muddle creates a unique holiday for each month, and all of Katie's friends get in on the fun. Then Katie comes up with a special holiday of her own, and Mrs. Muddle Day is the biggest celebration her neighborhood has ever seen! The particular joys of each season are brought to life in lively, entertaining watercolor-and-ink illustrations by Thomas F. Yezerski. The residents of Maple Street celebrate the usual holidays as well as more unusual ones, such as Pioneer Day and Patriots’ Day. But after Mrs. Muddle moves to Maple Street, every day becomes a holiday. In the spring, she celebrates First Robin Day and First Shower of April. Then it’s First Day of Summer, Watermelon Day, and the Garlic Jubilee. Through the fall and winter, Mrs. Muddle continues to find reasons to make each day special, and her neighbors, particularly the children, join the fun. The final surprise comes when Mrs. Muddle finds Maple Street’s residents preparing for a holiday that’s not on her own calendar: Mrs. Muddle Day. An author’s note about holidays closes this cheery, lighthearted story about community and intergenerational friendships. The text is perfectly paced for reading aloud, but the book will work best in small groups, which will allow close-up views of Yezerski’s ink-and-watercolor drawings of energetic, gray-haired party-animal Mrs. Muddle and the warmth and whimsical details that make her celebrations so joyful. Preschool-Grade 2. --Gillian Engberg “A holiday winner . . .Yezerski's pen-and-ink watercolors are bright, warm and festive. This is perfect for every collection.” ― Starred, Kirkus Reviews “Children of many ethnic and cultural backgrounds are depicted in this wonderful story of friendship and fellowship. It will make a great read-aloud any time of the year and will encourage children to create their own special occasions.” ― School Library Journal “The text is perfectly paced for reading aloud, but the book will work best in small groups, which will allow close-up views of Yezerski's ink-and-watercolor drawings of energetic, gray-haired party-animal Mrs. Muddle and the warmth and whimsical details that make her celebrations so joyful.” ― Booklist LAURA F. NIELSEN lives in McLean, Virginia. This is her second book for children. THOMAS F. YEZERSKI has illustrated several picture books and early readers, including The Winner's Walk by Nancy Ruth Patterson. He lives in Rutherford, New Jersey.