Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure (Missy Piggle-Wiggle #1)

Betty MacDonald's beloved Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle always had one-of-a-kind ways to remedy children of their annoying or impolite habits. Now, nearly 70 years later, her singular magic can enchant a new generation, thanks to this delightful contemporary follow-up from Martin (Rain Reign), writing with MacDonald's great-granddaughter, Parnell. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is off searching for her husband, "called away some years ago by the pirates," so great-niece Missy Piggle-Wiggle arrives in Little Spring Valley to take over her duties. After settling into the upside-down house and reacquainting herself with Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's unusual pets, Missy follows in her great-aunt's footsteps, using a "Greediness Cure" on Petulance Freeforall (it shrinks everything she claims for herself) and a watch that chimes with "the sound of a thousand bells gonging and a million phones ringing" to help with Heavenly Earwig's tardiness, among other humorous fixes. (the authors are more than up to the task of coming up with wonderfully oddball names for the children, as in MacDonald's original books.) Missy's blossoming romance with a quirky bookstore owner gives this magical tale extra spice. 

Copyright 2016 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 2-5-In the classic "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle" series, the title character "cured" children of annoying habits without belittling them. By helping the children see how others were affected by their behavior, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle taught empathy in a humorous manner. The tradition lives on in Missy, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's red-headed great-niece. Having spent time with her aunt as a child, Missy learned to make magic potions and spells. She also absorbed her aunt's kind approach to child psychology. Called to take care of the upside-down house and pets while Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is away, Missy must form her own relationships with the inhabitants of Little Spring Valley. The initial exposition drags a bit. In an attempt to bridge the new book with the old, three chapters are devoted to Missy's arrival and her introduction to the town. The pace picks up when the cures begin. Parents are concerned about greediness, tardiness, and procrastination. They would like their children to stop being spies, know-it-alls, and gum-smackers. With thoughtfulness and patience as well as magic gumdrops, bubbles, and a noisy watch, Missy helps improve the situations. Martin adds depth to the story by using one family, the Freeforalls, as a unifying thread throughout the narrative. Work-focused Mr. and Mrs. Freeforall need some Piggle-Wiggle assistance as much as their three children do. Although modernized in many ways, the tale, like its predecessors, relies on the premise of a small, mostly white town where parents let their children roam freely during the day. Hatke ("Zita the Spacegirl"; Julia's House for Lost Creatures; Little Robot) provides charming cover and black-and-white interior illustrations. VERDICT A fun family read-aloud, this version will win new fans without alienating devotees of the original series.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"If you can read, you'll love this book...It's about love and fealty, fear, hope, the release from burdens, and what kids—all kids—need but often don't get." —The New York Times Book Review