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The Puddle
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27 new or used available from $0.01
Average customer review:
Product Description
What better thing to do on a rainy day than sail a toy boat in puddles? The boy in this story gets permission from his mother to do just that, with the condition that only the boat gets to go in the puddles. After he finds a perfect spot for sailing, the boy is joined by a frog who wants a ride on his boat. Then a turtle floats by, followed by a helpful crocodile, a pig in a swimsuit, and a very thirsty elephant. Brought to life in rich watercolor illustrations, this cheerful assortment of visitors could make a rainy day a happy adventure for any child.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #930254 in Books
- Published on: 2000-04-15
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 32 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A boy and some imaginary animal playmates have fun despite the weather. "This delectable rainy-day adventure showcases McPhail's singular ability to blend fantasy and reality," said PW in a starred review. Ages 2-5. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K?A puddle and a few imaginary friends create a rainy-day adventure for a little boy. While attempting to sail his toy boat across the puddle, the young narrator encounters an unruly frog who hijacks the boat and recklessly crashes it into a turtle floating on his back and drinking tea. The protagonist is unable to retrieve his boat since his mother told him to stay out of the puddle. A giant alligator kindly offers to rescue it, but crushes it in his powerful jaws. An elephant drinks up the water and sprays it all over the other animals. The sun comes out, the puddle dries up, and everyone departs. Back at home, the child's mother has a hot bath waiting for him, and he happily sails his boat in peace. McPhail's sweet, watercolor illustrations are presented as vignettes against white backgrounds. The text is evenly distributed under each picture, so readers can easily follow along. A good choice for snuggling or quiet time.?Susan Garland, Maynard Public Library, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Ages 4^-7. McPhail's latest picture book is an especially charming, gently funny fantasy rooted in the here and now. Instructed by his mother to stay out of puddles, a little boy dons his rain gear for a trip outside to sail his boat. He's only just set his craft in a nice big puddle when he's greeted by a friendly frog, who jumps in the boat and sails away. Then other animals appear: a turtle, who invites the boy for tea; an alligator, who retrieves the boat; a pig out for a swim; and finally, a very thirsty elephant. So when does the boy get to sail his boat? At home in the bathtub. The pictures, which are crucial, add all sorts of subtle comedy to the simple text, and whether McPhail is painting gloomy skies, a muddy puddle, or one of his familiar-looking pigs, he handles his medium with expert skill. Stephanie Zvirin
Customer Reviews
wonderful book
My two year old loves this book, simple concept that is well developed, one of the few books I originally took out from the library and then felt compelled to go on and buy.
puddle pleaser
Lovely story with charming illustrations. Contains just the right amount of the "silly" factor to entertain, but not so much as to annoy the adult reading this story.
Good story for a wet day
This book tells the story of a small boy who goes out to play in a puddle on a rainy day. He follows his mother's instructions carefully, about not stepping in the puddle. But the animals who come to visit have no such limitations and their antics are quite entertaining.
Although the story is fairly innocuous, small children who become anxious over breaking things may become uncomfortable when reading this story- -an alligator rescues the boy's boat from the puddle, and in the process cracks it with his mouth. In the final scene of the book, the boat is shown in the boy's bathtub, and several small readers lamented that the crack was still there. The book is quite short, with only about 200 words.
