Product Description

Join the fun as a mother and child play a loving game of hide-and-seek in this board book edition of Ruth Krauss's delightful story, originally titled The Bundle Book. As baby hides beneath the soft blanket, Mother tries again and again to guess what in the world the bundle could be. Brought to life with luminous full-color artwork, this heart-warming story is perfect for all parents and young children to share.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #435086 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-30
• Released on: 1999-03-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
New art reinterprets a text originally published as The Bundle Book in 1951. The illustrations may be on the sugary side, said PW, but the playful affection between mother and child shines through both text and art. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSA"One morning a mother saw a strange bundle under the blankets in her bed." So begins this charming story of a treasured moment between mother and child. In a familiar game, the woman tries to guess what this child-shaped object may be. A pile of laundry? A bunch of carrots? She is sure she doesn't need any of these things, and each time the squirming lump says, "No." Finally, a face pops out of the blanket and yells, "It's ME," and the two share a hug. In a perfect ending, the mother affirms, "It's you. AndAyou're just what I need." This story was originally published in 1951 as The Bundle Book. As with many of Krauss's titles, the proof of its classic status is the way young children still giggle at its gentle simplicity. Noonan's illustrations, in the soft pastel colors of the nursery, glow as if suffused with morning light. As the mother wonders about the contents of the bundle, an appealing stuffed puppy acts out her guesses, bringing an added touch of humor to the silly inquiries. Sure to be a toddlertime favorite.ALisa S. Murphy, formerly at Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 2^-4. A mother finds "a strange bundle under the blankets in her bed" and wonders out loud what it could be--to the delight of the young child who's hiding there. If this sounds like Krauss' The Bundle Book (1951), it is, with new illustrations and a new title. Librarians don't much care for new titles on old texts, but when a book comes with a sticker on the front proclaiming "Free Gift Card Inside!" the library market is clearly secondary. Nevertheless, parents of preschoolers should be pleased with this new, rather nostalgic-looking edition. From the first page, in which the child hides under a decorative chenille bedspread rather than the stated blankets, the approach to illustration is quite different. Soft-edged, pastel, and pretty, the new artwork even illustrates the mother's musings ("Can it be a bundle of carrots? . . . Maybe it's a monkey?"), which the earlier book left to children's imaginations. A sweeter, more sentimental version of an old favorite. Carolyn Phelan

Customer Reviews

adorable story of love between mother and daughter
A lovely story of a toddler girl hiding under a blanket and playing a game of "what is under the blanket"? Mother makes many guesses as to what it can be and each response is "I don't need (the item)". At the end the girl pops out and declares the lump was "me" and then mother states that is just what she needed. This is very cute and shows love and typical interaction between a loving mother and adoring daughter. I have the board book version and I am sure it will get much repeated use. The theme of love between parent and child is not seen often enough in children's books and I am glad to see it in this book. Often books focus on the child, the child's activities, or objects (cars, trains, toys, etc.) rather than focusing on the expression and communication of love between parent and child.

A Delightful Surprise
My 20 month old son has a very eclectic taste in the books he enjoys. I was surprised when he pulled this off of his book shelf amidst many other books. It is now the favorite book and we read it over and over and over again. The text is simple; the illustrations are realistic yet warm; and, we never grow tired of discussing the illustrations on each page. I think he enjoys it because of the above reasons, and because it is predictable, yet the "surprise" ending never becomes boring. This book is truly a "find."

A touching portrait of mother and child
One morning a mother sees a strange bundle under the blankets on her bed. As she wonders aloud what it might be--a monkey? A bundle of carrots? Or Humpty-Dumpty?--the bundle proclaims "No, no, no, no, NO!" until finally it reveals itself: "It's ME!" cries the tousle-headed little toddler.

If you're a baby boomer, you might remember this book from your childhood. It was originally published in 1951 under the title "The Bundle Book." Here it is updated with a new title and brand new illustrations.

Purists, who flinch every time they see remakes of Disney classics like "The Absent-Minded Professor" and "The Parent Trap," will no doubt cringe when they hear that old books are being redone with new pictures. But, as nice as the original pale chalk and charcoal drawings were, they were not irreplaceable illustrations along the lines of Garth Williams' pencil sketches that accompany the "Little House" books. The story doesn't suffer at all, and the updated look just means a new generation of children will be exposed to a tender little story.

Noonan has illustrated the new book beautifully. The cover alone, a touching portrait of mother and child, makes this book stand out from others on the shelf. The rich pastel colors are as warm and inviting as the chenille bedspread under which the child hides.

I think this would make a nice gift for a new mother on Mother's Day and will be a book that toddlers want read over and over again.