A Squash and a Squeeze

by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

Overview

The return of a contemporary classic from the internationally bestselling team of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

When a little old lady can't stand her tiny house any longer, a wise old man gives her some strange advice... And soon her house is feeling smaller than ever, with a hen, a goat, a pig, and even a cow trampling all over her kitchen! But the wise old man has one piece of advice still to give and may yet be able to solve the little old lady's problems.Adapted from a classic folktale, A Squash and a Squeeze was the very first picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, before they went on to become international stars for their beloved picture books, including The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom. Long out of print in the US, A Squash and a Squeeze is back and ready to be discovered by a new generation of readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338052206
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	12/27/2016
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	394,689
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Axel Scheffler's award-winning books include Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, and The Gruffalo. His illustrations have been published in more than 30 countries. He lives in London, England.

Julia Donaldson served as the UK Children's Laureate from 2011 to 2013 and has written many bestselling and beloved children's books, including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and Stick Man. She lives in West Sussex in the south of the UK.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for A Squash and a Squeeze:"Pen-and-ink outlined with bright watercolor washes are set against a white background. It seems that light is shining through the pages. Best of all is the language; the refrain reverberates even after the story is over... A charming story hour addition." — School Library JournalPraise for Superworm:"A word lover's delight in rousing, rhyming verse." — New York Times Book Review*"The unlikely superhero with his googly eyes and winning smile will be hit, and the rhythmic rhyme will have audiences chanting along by the end of the story.... Silly and slimy — superfun!" — Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewPraise for Stick Man:*"Donaldson's rhymes never skip a beat, and Scheffler personalizes the many animals, people and settings in his witty watercolors. This yarn could become a December perennial." — Publishers Weekly, starred review*"Scheffler's engaging illustrations, Donaldson's irresistible rhyming text and repeated refrains make this a winning read-aloud that will stick around long after the holiday season." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

K-Gr 3-- In this traditional tale, adapted and retold in verse, a little old woman complains to a wise old man that, ``My house is a squash and a squeeze,'' even though she is the sole resident. The thoughtful man tells her to take in, in turn, her hen, goat, pig, and finally her cow. Of course the house seems gigantic when the temporary boarders are put out. Clever caricatures of characters accentuate the humorous situation. Just a curl of a lip or the ideal placement of the dot in the white eyeball make them whimsical, pensive, dismayed, serene, or horrified. Pen-and-ink outlined with bright watercolor washes are set against a white background. It seems that light is shining through the pages. Best of all is the language; the refrain reverberates even after the story is over. Margot Zemach's It Could Always Be Worse (Farrar, 1990) and Eleanor Chroman's It Could Be Worse (Childrens, 1972; o.p.) are familiar versions of the story. Donaldson's has fewer details, but its rollicking verse makes it a charming story hour addition.-- Nancy Seiner, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

School Library Journal

Reminiscent of McGovern's "Too Much Noise" (1967), Donaldson's picture book tells the story of an old lady who, on the advice of a wise old man, brings animal after animal indoors to live with her. Her house becomes "tiny," "crampy," "teeny," and "weeny"--until the man advises her to turn all the animals out. The old lady does so and finds her house roomy indeed. "And now she's full of frolics and fiddle-dee-dees, it isn't a squash and it isn't a squeeze." Though it doesn't quite scan, the rhyming text will work well for reading aloud. Scheffler's watercolors, similar in style to the artwork of Jack Kent, have a slapstick humor bound to appeal to young children, who will happily join in the "squash and squeeze" refrain.

Janice Del Negro