Mrs. Biddlebox

by Linda Smith

Book Overview

Her Bad Day . . . and What She Did About It Mrs. Biddlebox is having a bad day. A REALLY bad day. And then she comes up with a most bewitching solution With a pinch of magic and a dash of humor, here... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060297824
• ISBN13: 9780060297824
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.7" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Fantastic!

This is a wonderful book that really captivates kids interest. The lyrical rhyming catches their interest and the story is really empowering. Mrs. Biddlebox refuses to accept her bad day and, with determination and zeal, changes it. The illustrations are completely charming. Mrs. Biddlebox will stay with any reader as will the idea that we can have a hand in our own world.

Bake that Bad Day Away.....

"On a knotty little hill,/In a dreary little funk,/Mrs. Biddlebox rolled over/On the wrong side of her bunk..." What a terrible morning, dark and dreary. An ill wind "mussied up her hair", her chair creaked, the tea was bitter, her crumpets, stale, and the birds' singing was giving her a headache. But Mrs Biddlebox is not one to sit and complain. She's a woman of action and decides to turn this awful day into a scrumptious treat. "I will cook this rotten morning!/I will turn it into cake!/I will fire up my oven!/I will set the day to bake!" And so she gets busy collecting the gloom and grubbies, a filthy shadow, the damp, dank fog, the low, gray sky, and just a ray of hidden sunshine to sweeten the pot. "So she whipped and whisked and beat it./She rolled the day out flat./Mrs. Biddlebox laughed gleefully;/Her hands went pat-pat-pat..." At last she was ready to put her cake into the oven, and bake that sad, bad day away..... Linda Smith's rhyming, lyrical text is charming and engaging, and filled with rhythm, energy, and humor. Marla Frazee's swirling, dark and expressive illustrations complement the text beautifully, and together word and art sends a positive message that won't be lost on little ones. Don't let a bad day get you down... take control, and turn it into something wonderful. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Mrs. Biddlebox is a read-aloud crowd pleaser kids will beg to hear again and again, and is sure to become an instant favorite at your house.

Seize the Day...and Take a Bite!

In author Linda Smith's two year battle with cancer she may have learned more than her fair share about "waking up on the wrong side of the bunk" but she also learned about how to use her talents to deal with those "dreary little funks." She has given us the delightful story of Mrs. Biddlebox, a very clever and talented witchey lady with a big curly black ponytail who, one day, wakes up in a very dreary funk indeed! Even the singing birds give her a headache. She decides "I will cook this rotten morning! I will turn it into cake! I will fire up my oven! I will set the day to bake!" With a wealth of magical know-how Mrs. Biddlebox does exactly that and the results are tasty! Marla Frazee has illustrated the enchanting Mrs. Biddlebox to perfection and helped to create a wonderful picture book filled with humor and whimsy that is guaranteed to cure any dreary funk that might come your way. Enjoy!

My kids loved this book!

I chose this book because I liked it and, particularly, because my family loved Smith's previous title, WHEN MOON FELL DOWN. With its purposely gloomy-looking cover, MRS. BIDDLEBOX was a bit of a sell for my three-year-old (whose tastes usually run more to the FROGGIE titles), but as soon as I started reading it to Meredith, she was enthralled. My seven-year-old enjoyed it too. The illustrations are adorable and a perfect compliment to the extended metaphor of the text. It is a wonderful book about making the best of a bad day. That first time I sat down with MRS. BIDDLEBOX, I had to read it three times . . . and I enjoyed every one of them!