Overview
EARLY IN THE MORNING, a little bird at #1 Fish Street hops out of her nest, takes a deep breath, and begins to sing a very loud and whistley song, TWEEEEEET-TWEEEEEET-TA-TA-TA-TWEEEEEET-TWEEEEET!
So starts the story of how a chain of events results in everyone on one street waking up. The bird's song awakens Mr. Krudwig at #2 Fish Street, whose grumbling wakes up Leopold, his dog, who barks "RAPPITYRAPPITY-RAP RAPPITY-RAPPITY-RAP" . . . and wakes up Mrs. Musky, at #3 Fish Street. The antics go on and on until, finally, Lilah Hall's singing in the shower at #9 awakens the last person left who is still asleep, none other than the littlest resident at #10 Fish Street: baby Wendell Willamore.
Synopsis
EARLY IN THE MORNING, a little bird at #1 Fish Street hops out of her nest, takes a deep breath, and begins to sing a very loud and whistley song, TWEEEEEET-TWEEEEEET-TA-TA-TA-TWEEEEEET-TWEEEEET!
So starts the story of how a chain of events results in everyone on one street waking up. The bird's song awakens Mr. Krudwig at #2 Fish Street, whose grumbling wakes up Leopold, his dog, who barks "RAPPITYRAPPITY-RAP RAPPITY-RAPPITY-RAP" . . . and wakes up Mrs. Musky, at #3 Fish Street. The antics go on and on until, finally, Lilah Hall's singing in the shower at #9 awakens the last person left who is still asleep, none other than the littlest resident at #10 Fish Street: baby Wendell Willamore.
From the Hardcover edition.
Publishers Weekly
Stevens, author of a novel for adults (Angel, Angel), endows her imaginative debut picture book with well-developed characters, plenty of noise and enough humor to keep readers wanting more. Beginning with the "ta-ta-ta tweeeeeet!" of a small bird, sounds travel from one house to the next, awakening the porcine denizens of Fish Street in a domino effect. The bird rouses Mr. Krudwig at #2 Fish Street, his dog Leopold disturbs Mrs. Musky at #3 Fish Street, and her whistling teapot flusters the tardy kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Depolo at #4 Fish Street, and so on. Hills's (Duck & Goose) witty watercolors depict action and facial expressions with equal ease, and they target both children's and adults' sensibilities. For the seven Darjeelings, who sleep together in a huge bed and whose cat wakes them by repeatedly slamming the screen door, he offers a frontal view of the glassy-eyed family, all with identical helpless stares; their nightstand contains the books Whose Bed Is It Anyway?and Train Your Cat. Especially delicious is his characterization of Mrs. Depolo as she literally "throws on her clothes, races down her stairs, and dives out the door." The story could easily do double-duty as a counting book, and with its punchy prose, unexpected plot turns and surprisingly sweet ending, it's a cinch for a read-aloud treat. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationEditorials
Publishers Weekly
Stevens, author of a novel for adults (Angel, Angel), endows her imaginative debut picture book with well-developed characters, plenty of noise and enough humor to keep readers wanting more. Beginning with the "ta-ta-ta tweeeeeet!" of a small bird, sounds travel from one house to the next, awakening the porcine denizens of Fish Street in a domino effect. The bird rouses Mr. Krudwig at #2 Fish Street, his dog Leopold disturbs Mrs. Musky at #3 Fish Street, and her whistling teapot flusters the tardy kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Depolo at #4 Fish Street, and so on. Hills's (Duck & Goose) witty watercolors depict action and facial expressions with equal ease, and they target both children's and adults' sensibilities. For the seven Darjeelings, who sleep together in a huge bed and whose cat wakes them by repeatedly slamming the screen door, he offers a frontal view of the glassy-eyed family, all with identical helpless stares; their nightstand contains the books Whose Bed Is It Anyway?and Train Your Cat. Especially delicious is his characterization of Mrs. Depolo as she literally "throws on her clothes, races down her stairs, and dives out the door." The story could easily do double-duty as a counting book, and with its punchy prose, unexpected plot turns and surprisingly sweet ending, it's a cinch for a read-aloud treat. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationChildren's Literature -
Fish Street is certainly a busy place in the mornings! A little bird at #1 Fish Street starts an early morning song, triggering a series of awakenings in a sort of domino effect. The birdsong wakes Mr. Krudwig at #2, rousing him from his pancake dreams. He lets his dog Leopold out, and Leopold "makes his morning wee-wee" before proceeding to his daily barking, perhaps "ordering that annoying bird to put a lid on it." The barking wakes Mrs. Musky at #3, whose kettle whistle goes off in the middle of her efforts to "get her hair under control." On this continues in similarly amusing fashion until all the residents of Fish Street rise to greet the morning. Tad Hills' colored pencil and oil illustrations provide charming glances into the lives of the porcine residents of Fish Street and show appealing colors and faces as well as great movement and drama. Most notable is Mrs. Deopolo at #4, a chronically late kindergarten teacher who zooms out of the house and down the street. This is sure to be a hit with kids as well as anyone who has been roused from a sound sleep by neighborhood noise. A must-have for all picture book collections. Reviewer: Sharon OliverSchool Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2
It's morning on Fish Street. A bird that lives outside #1 wakes up the occupant of #2 with its "tweeet-ta-ta-ta-tweeeeet." Then the dog from #2 barks and wakes up Mrs. Musky at #3. At each home there is a unique sound until finally little Wendell in his crib at #10 wakes up-"weeeeeee!" The onomatopoeia is delightful. The screen door goes "wack-slam" and the sewing machine goes "wug-a-ta." The sound words are typeset to sweep across the pages and lead readers on to the next scene. All of the "people" on Fish Street are pigs, and each one has a unique personality and an often humorous morning routine. Children will chuckle at Mrs. Musky, who "heads into her bathroom to get her hair under control," and Mr. Wink, who "moves slowly, like honey pouring from a jar." Hills's bright oil paint and colored pencil illustrations, done with simple lines and contrasting colors, enliven the text and add extra humor. This picture book is both a clever and original counting book and a great read-aloud.
—Donna CardonCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.