Mrs. Muddle's Holidays
The residents of Maple Street celebrate the usual holidays as well as more unusual ones, such as Pioneer Day and Patriots’ Day. But after Mrs. Muddle moves to Maple Street, every day becomes a holiday. In the spring, she celebrates First Robin Day and First Shower of April. Then it’s First Day of Summer, Watermelon Day, and the Garlic Jubilee. Through the fall and winter, Mrs. Muddle continues to find reasons to make each day special, and her neighbors, particularly the children, join the fun. The final surprise comes when Mrs. Muddle finds Maple Street’s residents preparing for a holiday that’s not on her own calendar: Mrs. Muddle Day. An author’s note about holidays closes this cheery, lighthearted story about community and intergenerational friendships. The text is perfectly paced for reading aloud, but the book will work best in small groups, which will allow close-up views of Yezerski’s ink-and-watercolor drawings of energetic, gray-haired party-animal Mrs. Muddle and the warmth and whimsical details that make her celebrations so joyful. Preschool-Grade 2. --Gillian Engberg