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Overview
THE SQUEAKY DOOR
It's time for bed! Granny tucks Little Boy in tight. She kisses him good night. She turns out the light. And he's not scared! No, not him! But when Granny shuts that door... SQUEEEEAK!
How can a granny keep that spooky, squeaky door from scaring her little boy awake at night?
Acclaimed storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald spins a humorous bedtime story, perfect for reading aloud, with comical illustrations by Mary Newell DePalma.
Synopsis
It's time for bed!
Grandma tucks Little Boy in tight. She kisses him good night. She turns out the light. And he's not scared! No, not him!But when Grandma shuts that door . . .
Squeeeak!
How can Grandma keep that spooky, squeaky door from scaring her little boy awake at night?
Acclaimed storyteller Margaret Read MacDonald and illustrator Mary Newell DePalma spin an old folktale into a humorous bedtime story.
Publishers Weekly
A night at Grandma's proves far from restful for Little Boy and his grandmother in MacDonald's (Pickin' Peas) humorous retelling of an old Puerto Rican folk song ("La Cama"). Employing a traditional narrative framework, the story uses Grandma's question, "Are you going to be scared?" and Little Boy's response, "No. Not me!" as a recurring refrain. Despite his bravery, each time the bedroom door closes with a "squeeeeeak!" Little Boy wails. In response, Grandma introduces a series of animal companions, with hilarious consequences. DePalma (The Strange Egg) begins with several silhouette illustrations to a spread, but with the addition of each new animal, Grandma's goodnight scenes take up more and more space, culminating in a full-bleed spread of Little Boy, cat, dog, pig and horse in bed. The dark purple paintings illustrating Little Boy and his companions' terror when the door squeaks shut undergo a similar escalation, with Little Boy's "Waaaaa!" joined by "Meow!," "Woof! Woof!," "Oink! Oink!," "neigh! neigh! neigh!" and finally, "Kaboom!" when the bed breaks under the weight of its occupants. The chaos and absurdity (scenes of Grandma dressing each animal in pajamas are particularly charming) finally conclude with sleep for all. Over-the-top humor and a satisfyingly predictable narrative make this tale one that children will likely ask for again and again. Ages 3-6. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
A night at Grandma's proves far from restful for Little Boy and his grandmother in MacDonald's (Pickin' Peas) humorous retelling of an old Puerto Rican folk song ("La Cama"). Employing a traditional narrative framework, the story uses Grandma's question, "Are you going to be scared?" and Little Boy's response, "No. Not me!" as a recurring refrain. Despite his bravery, each time the bedroom door closes with a "squeeeeeak!" Little Boy wails. In response, Grandma introduces a series of animal companions, with hilarious consequences. DePalma (The Strange Egg) begins with several silhouette illustrations to a spread, but with the addition of each new animal, Grandma's goodnight scenes take up more and more space, culminating in a full-bleed spread of Little Boy, cat, dog, pig and horse in bed. The dark purple paintings illustrating Little Boy and his companions' terror when the door squeaks shut undergo a similar escalation, with Little Boy's "Waaaaa!" joined by "Meow!," "Woof! Woof!," "Oink! Oink!," "neigh! neigh! neigh!" and finally, "Kaboom!" when the bed breaks under the weight of its occupants. The chaos and absurdity (scenes of Grandma dressing each animal in pajamas are particularly charming) finally conclude with sleep for all. Over-the-top humor and a satisfyingly predictable narrative make this tale one that children will likely ask for again and again. Ages 3-6. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Storyteller and author Margaret Read MacDonald retells a Puerto Rican folk song she learned from New Zealand storyteller Liz Miller. A little boy sleeps over at Grandma's alone in a big bed in a room with a squeaky door. "WAAAAAH!" Grandma asks if he is scared. "Yes!" She brings in a cat, a dog, a pig, and finally a horse, and of course the bed breaks and the boy ends up sleeping with Grandma and Grandpa. The next day Grandma oils the door. That night the boy and the cat sleep soundly in the big bed in a room with a silent door. Rhythmic refrain invites participation. In Mary Newell DePalma's humorous illustrations, Grandma cleans and dresses the animals before bringing them in to bed. She enhances fear with pacing, type face, and size, along with the child's experience of the size of the big bed. The feet of the child and the animals almost wiggle under the red and green bedspread. 2006, HarperCollins Publishers, and Ages 3 to 6.—Mary B. Bauer