A Promise is a Promise

When Allashua disobeys her parents and goes fishing on the sea ice, she has to use her wits to escape and to further trick the Qallupilluit when she promises to bring her brothers and sisters back to them.

About the Classic Munsch series:
Robert Munsch's award-winning books have become a staple on the bookshelves of families worldwide. His stories reflect the joys and challenges of everyday living, offering zany, yet utterly normal, experiences of family life. Munsch has sold over 40 million books in 20 countries and many languages, including French, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese. Beginning with Mud Puddle in 1979, Munsch continued captivating children and adults with stories like Thomas's Snowsuit, David's Father, I Have to Go!, and the classic Love You Forever.

When Allashua disobeys her parents and goes fishing on the sea ice, she has to use her wits to escape and to further trick the Qallupilluit when she promises to bring her brothers and sisters back to them.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3 Contrary to her mother's advice, Allashua decies to challenge the Qallupilluit, an imaginary Inuit character who lives under the sea ice near her home. Taunting and jeering (``You have dirty noses,'' ``you smell like a dead whale,'' ``you can't catch me'') Allashua is pulled down under the sea. Only the promise of returning with her brothers and sisters as a gift to the creatures delays her end. Back home, she is warmed and saved by her wise mother, who tricks the monsters out of rtheir anticipated meal. The entire family is now free to fish on the ice because legend tells that children with their parents may never be captured, and a ``promise is a promise.'' Water color illustrations are pedestrian, with the exception of the Qallupilluit, who is portrayed deftly and with verve. The meter of the text is choppy; the over-use of so , and and but is distracting. Insult, fraticide, and trickery are the messages of A Promise Is a Promise . Nothing good comes of this tale. That's a promise! Reva Pitch Margolis, Norwood School, N.J.

Robert Munsch is the author of more than 25 books for children including The Paper Bag Princes and Stephanie's Ponytail. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and studied to be a Jesuit priest before deciding to work with children instead. He taught in a variety of nursery schools and daycare centers while he earned an MA in Early Childhood Education. In 1975, Munsch and his wife, Ann, moved to Guelph, Ontario. The Munschs have three children: Julie, Andrew, and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!).