Lillian Hoban (1925–1998)

Frances has been saving for a beautiful China tea set. Her "friend" Thelma tricks her into buying her old plastic tea set with all of her savings by saying that it is sturdier and better. Then Thelma goes and buys the China tea set herself. Thelma has a history of taking advantage of Frances and so Frances concocts a plan to get Thelma to trade her tea sets by saying that she left something in the old tea set.

Really cute story that really stands the test of time, it was originally published show more in 1970. My mom named me Frances after my grandmother and Frances the badger because she always thought it would be cool to have a story character that had your same name. Some people might see this as mean spirited or petty but I think it is a good lesson for children to learn that sometimes your friends take advantage of you. show less

Harvey's Hideout is the first book I remember holding in my hand as a very small, pre-preschool aged child.

It is the charming story of two muskrat siblings, Harvey and Mildred, who are having some "issues" getting along. Harvey is the "stupid, no-good" little brother who annoys his older sister Mildred, who in turn is "mean and rotten." In truth (and as their muskrat father wisely points out) neither is really stupid, no-good, mean or rotten. They just seem that way to each other. show more Ah...memories of childhood.

Not that my older sister was never quite as mean to me as Mildred was nor was I ever quite as bratty or annoying as Harvey. Still, the colorful illustrations depicting the idyllic family life of a muskrat family charmed me and provided ample fodder for my imagination. I wanted a party dress like Mildred's and fantasized that when I ran away from home, I'd carry my belonging in a bindle (bag on a stick) like Harvey.

I found this book several years ago at a second-hand book store and reading it as an adult, I was happy to see that it hasn't lost its charm. I still love the colorful illustrations which probably endeared muskrats to generations of readers, which was a feat in itself. I mean, I've seen muskrats in person, and they are not this adorable. But, I must say, this time around, I appreciated the book's very realistic portrayal of sibling interactions.

Then there was the joy of finding all of the things that went over my head as a child (which were probably snuck in just to give parents a chuckle) for instance the part where the muskrat children list all the children in the neighborhood and the reasons they may or may not be suitable playmates...(they are not allowed to get mixed up with the weasels).

Hilarious.

Reading this as an adult reminded me what a gift siblings can be. At the end of the day, all you really have is each other and that's a lot. What a nice lesson to find in a children's book.

I wonder if this book is the real reason my sisters and I always got along so well. show less

So ridiculous that children may very well get tummy-aches laughing. A dinosaur wearing a muffler... a cave-boy being friendly with lions and bears... a flowered teapot.... But at the same time, it's a bit poignant, as Betsy finally finds a good thing about being so big and strong.

And hey, shout-out to a female dino. I mean, consider this, half of them were, including half of all T. Rex.

I am still not as smart as Frances. Despite my mother's warning to be careful, I would still probably have fallen for Thelma's tricks. And I would have stopped being friends, rather than find the ever-so-clever solution Frances did. Oh, and I never would have come up with all the wonderful little songs, either. Terrific story. Art boring.