Margery Cuyler

Author Margery Cuyler and illustrator Marsha Winborn, who also collaborated on Sir William and the Pumpkin Monster, turn to Valentine's Day in this engaging picture-book from the 1980s. Freckles and Willie were inseparable companions, until Jane moved in next door. Soon Willie was ignoring his loyal canine friend, because Jane didn't care for dogs. But when he made a special Valentine for Jane, and her reaction was one of contemptuous dismissal, Willies realized just who his real friend show more was...

Having enjoyed Sir William and the Pumpkin Monster a few years ago, I was pleased to discover Freckles and Willie, which pairs Cuyler's engaging story with Winborn's charming, expressive illustrations. I thought Winburn really captured Freckles' winsome character in her artwork, chronicling his changing emotional state as Willie begins to shut him out. Young dog lovers will undoubtedly find this portion of the story upsetting, but fortunately there is a happy ending, as Willie works to win back Freckles' affection. For my own part, while I understood the necessity of keeping Freckles away from Jane, due to her allergies, it wasn't really clear to me why Willie needed to stop playing with him, even when Jane wasn't around. Leaving that aside, this was a fun Valentine's Day story, one which focuses on the friendship offered by our animal companions, rather than on having a human Valentine. show less

Skeleton wakes up with the hiccups and tries everything to get rid of them, until their friend Ghost thinks to hold up a mirror. Lots of funny visual/slapstick humor (when Skeleton drinks water upside down, the water pours out of their eye sockets), and a repeated "hic, hic, hic" throughout.

Little Nell lives with her big mother and big sisters in a big house with big blustery voices and big parties. Little Nell is constantly offering her help, but her big family members say that she is just too small. So, Nell would go outside into the big snowy woods and play with her reindeer, hare, and bear cub friends. One day, bear asked for her to teach them how to build a snowman, but she felt that she was just too small. All of her friends helped her roll huge balls of snow to create show more the snowman, and crow, cardinal, and sparrow came to make a face for the snowman. When it was lunchtime, she returned to her house, where her family members asked where she had been. She told them that she had made the biggest, best snowman, and they had to see it to believe it because she was just so small. Her mother is so impressed with her creation that she asks if Nell wants to come and make a big yummy lunch, but her sisters say that she is still too small. However, her mother says she is plenty big enough after seeing this huge snowman and she finally felt big enough to the world. The Biggest, Best Snowman was a book given to me from my first grade teacher for logging that I had read 425 books at home. There is still a sweet note in there that makes this book extra special to me. I would love to give that same joy to my students one day and hopefully make them smile even 15 years later. The story itself is one that is incredibly sweet and relatable to young students as they may feel that they are too small to be capable of great things. Scholastic Book Wizard has identified this as a Pre K-1 level story, and at this point, students are still feeling that they are tiny compared to the world around them. If they read a book like this, they will feel empowered and understand that no matter their size, they are capable of creating amazing things and being amazing people. They will feel that they are enough and will take this confidence with them to whatever the day brings. I have always hated when teachers or parents put children down as "I'm big, you're small; I'm right, you're wrong; and there is nothing you can do about it" just like Harry Wormwood says to Matilda. It is disheartening to know that there are children that feel they are incapable of greatness, so I would hope this book gives them the confidence they need. This book is a 5/5 to me as it shows someone small feeling victorious over the world around them. Beautiful. show less

With a bad case of the hiccups, Skeleton found that his everyday tasks, from brushing his teeth to polishing his bones, were far more difficult to accomplish. He tried everything he could think of, and everthing his friend Ghost suggested, to rid himself of this tiresome affliction, but nothing seemed to work. Then Ghost had a bright idea, and brought him a mirror...

Author Margery Cuyler's narrative in Skeleton Hiccups is quite simple - the text on each two-page spread describes an action show more ("carved a pumpkin"), and follows it up with a "hic, hic, hic" - and is paired with bright, colorful artwork from illustrator S.D. Schindler, artwork that features an often comical Skeleton prominently on the page. The result is a book that, although a little boring when read silently to oneself, makes for an excellent read-aloud. Although not explicitly about Halloween, it would make an excellent storytime selection for that time of year. My only word of warning, in that respect, is as follows: after reading this one aloud myself, giving full vent to the refrain of "hic, hic, hic," I discovered that I had given myself the hiccups for real. Storytellers beware! show less