Product Description

Unaware that Mrs. Jenkins is polishing up her set of magical tools in the backyard, young Patrick finds himself in a fantastic world of imagination in which he comes face-to-face with such incredible items as a bubble machine and a friendly dragon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #966720 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Wood's (Rude Giants; Weird Parents) intentionally far-fetched yet annoyingly disconnected plot gets a vital boost from Teague's buoyant, whimsical art. His robust, full-page acrylic paintings propel the tale along at a giddy pace as Patrick offers a whirlwind tour of the busy world he has fashioned from some magical tools. They are on loan from white-haired Mrs. Jenkins, whom Patrick's parents hire to help paint their house. After a week's work, the boy proudly invites everyone for a tour of "his new place," a sequence of settings that includes a garden teeming with "creepy-crawly things," a chamber filled with bubble-blowing machines, a Food Room offering limitless edible treats, a gravity-defying room where the visitors can jump up and down and "scream all you want," a pirate ship, and a field roamed by wild animals and a Tyrannosaurus rex. There's no real story here, just a catalogue of hackneyed but kid-obliging scenarios. Ages 4-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?The summer Patrick's parents hire Mrs. Jenkins to help them paint the house, the handywoman lends the bored boy her "special tools" to make a creation of his own. At the end of the week, it is revealed: a Small Creature Garden in the Subterranean Room, connected by a Zig-Zaggity-Ladder to the Bubble Room. Then there's the Food Room, where pig waiters serve treats of all kinds to diners of a variety of species; the Jumping Room, where rabbits and frogs join jumping humans; and a sail upon the Jolly Mermaid, where the underwater fire lizard is converted into a harmless handful; and finally the Friendly Wild Animal Room. The text, primarily in dialogue, is wonderfully deadpan. The full-color paintings, done in a retro, 1950s style, are loaded with sly visual humor. Creatures stare out at readers, and each room is a marvel of construction. Shifts in perspective add to the lively tempo of the book. Double-page spreads reflect expert composition, drawing the eye inevitably to some unique detail. Mrs. Jenkins, a wonderfully wacky Jill-of-all-trades, is an added bonus in this nontraditional adventure. Inventive and refreshing, this picture book vividly reflects a young child's active imagination. Kids will ask for read-aloud encores, and it will be a terrific imagination starter.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 4^-8. Mrs. Jenkins gives Patrick her special tools to use in the backyard while his house is being painted, and the results are spectacular. He takes Mrs. Jenkins and his family on a tour of his "new place," beginning with the Subterranean Room, then moving on to the Small Creature Garden, the Bubble Room, the Jumping Room, and other sites. The tour concludes with a stop at the Friendly Wild Animal Room, where Mrs. Jenkins gives carrots to a tame Tyrannosaurus rex and Baby Sarah cuddles up for a snooze with a lion. Hugely appealing to young audiences, the story features a bored child who creates an astounding world without grown-up help. What's more, the place is every child's dream come true, with excitment and wonder at every turn, beds expressly for jumping and bubbles large enough to float on. Teague brings the text to life with great humor and detail, depicting a world that looks real but is populated with fantastical animals and objects. Children will love poring over the pictures and coming up with their own fantasy journeys. Susan Dove Lempke

Customer Reviews

A springboard for imagination
I particulary enjoyed this book by my favorite picture book author because I was able to take my children to see Ms. Wood and Mr. Teague when it came out. I have used it in my classroom as a springboard for a writing activity because it is a wonderful reminder that with imagination and books you can go anywhere and do anything. The characters drift from room to room without any particular plot, but it is forgivable because the book celebrates the "can-do" spirit of childhood. My three year old wants to read it over and over to watch where "Baby Sarah" ends up and look at the cornucopia of images on every page. I always prefer Don Wood's illustrations with her books, but if you can relinquish that expectation the pictures are a lot of fun.

Buy this book and let your imagination soar!
This is an excellent, imaginative book that my 3 1/2 year-old son absolutely loved. We are big fans of Mark Teague's illustrations and found this book because of him, but we now love Audrey Wood, as well. This book is adventurous, but not scarey, as well as fun and playful. It would be an excellent gift for ages 2.5-5 years.

Epitome of creativity
This is one of those charming little books that happily manage to place the most fantastic and impossible of ideas well in the realms of mundania to provide a wondrous story of a boy tour-guide and a fantastic building.

When his parents don't allow him to help with the apparently very mature task of painting the house, a boy borrows magic tools to keep himself busy and out of trouble. But when the week is up, he is ready to take his family on a tour of an underground wonderland of miniature beasts and bouncing rooms.

The marvelous pictures move the story along, as well do the delightfully understated dialogue and characters who happily go along the wild ride.

Great fantasy for kids.