Rude Mule - Hardcover

Pamela Duncan Edwards

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0333960173 ISBN 13: 9780333960172

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books, 2002

Synopsis

What would you do if a mule knocked on your door one day and said, "I've come for lunch." You'd say, "Hello! Come in, Mule." But what if the mule was badly behaved Find out how a quick-witted little boy teaches an obstinate mule some manners in this funny, touching picture book. With repetitive dialogue and mule noises to make, this is a great book to read aloud.

About this title

About the Author:

Pamela Duncan Edwards grew up in the north of England but now lives in the USA. She is married with two grown-up sons, and her first grandchild was born recently. Her father encouraged her love of books and she worked as a children's librarian before becoming a writer. She has written many highly successful American picture books, both fiction and non-fiction. This is her first book for Macmillan. Barbara Nascimbeni is the popular illustrator of the picture books What If (0 333 73486 6), Small Brown Dog's Bad Remembering Day (0 333 74539 6) and Archie Hates Pink (0 333 90082 0). She has also illustrated two sets of board books for Macmillan and her books have been sold into 10 countries. She speaks four languages and divides her time between Hamburg and northern Italy.

From Publishers Weekly:

Rather than focus on a recalcitrant child, Edwards (Some Smug Slug) reverses the typical plot of a book about polite manners and places a child in charge of a slurping, tantrum-throwing mule. Throughout, the narrator directly addresses the reader: "What would you do if a mule knocked on your door one day and said `I've come for lunch'?" In a series of familiar situations, made humorous by the cumulative recounting of the mule's discourteous behavior, the boy amiably civilizes his guest: "Mule, eat your food quietly." When the mule predictably replies, "Won't!" the boy delivers a mature response: "Then we won't be able to play with my train set after lunch." The mule brays and stamps his hooves ("You'd ignore him until he stopped, wouldn't you?"), and each time, the boy wins over his belligerent companion with consistency and patience. There's plenty of flying spaghetti and action in Nascimbeni's (Small Brown Dog's Bad Remembering Day) fiesta-bright, black-lined illustrations, which pump up the energy in full-bleed spreads of the mounting chaos. When the mule begins to shape up, a series of vignettes demonstrates the rewards of the newly forged friendship as the two ride the boy's train, play hide-and-seek, etc. (and the boy's dog acts as a barometer for the proceedings). A refreshing twist on the value of knowing one's P's and Q's. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0333960173
• ISBN 13: 9780333960172
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Barbara Nascimbeni