Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure

by Ann M. Martin, Annie Parnell, Ben Hatke (Illustrator)

Overview

New York Times-bestselling author Ann M. Martin brings her signature warmth and comic genius to a new character. And artist Ben Hatke brings it all to life!

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has gone away unexpectedly and left her niece, Missy Piggle-Wiggle, in charge of the Upside-Down House and the beloved animals who live there: Lester the pig, Wag the dog, and Penelope the parrot, among others.

Families in town soon realize that like her great-aunt, Missy Piggle-Wiggle has inventive cures for all sorts of childhood (mis)behavior: The Whatever Cure and the Just-a-Minute Cure, for instance. What is a stressed out parent to do? Why, call Missy Piggle-Wiggle, of course!

A warm middle-grade adventure for readers who enjoy quirky characters and hilarious plots

Praise for Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure:

"A fun family read-aloud, this version will win new fans without alienating devotees of the original series." —School Library Journal

“[Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's] singular magic can enchant a new generation, thanks to this delightful contemporary follow-up from Martin.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Titles in the Missy Piggle-Wiggle series:
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Won't-Walk-the-Dog Cure

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250129536
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	09/05/2017
Series:	Missy Piggle-Wiggle Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	659,913
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	720L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Ann M. Martin is the New York Times-bestselling author of Rain Reign, and many other award-winning novels and series, including the much-loved Baby-Sitters Club. She lives in upstate New York.

Annie Parnell worked for nearly a decade with some of the most successful writers and producers in television. Today she works as a mommy, photographer and writer, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two children. Annie's books include Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure and Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Won't Walk the Dog Cure.

Ben Hatke is the author of the New York Times-bestselling Zita the Spacegirl trilogy as well as the picture book Julia's House for Lost Creatures. He lives and works in the Shenandoah Valley with his wife and their boisterous pack of daughters.

Editorial Reviews

[Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's] singular magic can enchant a new generation, thanks to this delightful contemporary follow-up from Martin.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Rain Reign:

A New York Times Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Book

"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

"Newbery Honor author Martin is extremely successful in capturing Rose's perspective and personality... Filled with integrity and determination, Rose overcomes significant obstacles in order to do what is right." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 06/27/2016
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. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–11. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

09/01/2016
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.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

School Library Journal