Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild!

Harriet would be deemed a brat my many or most people who come upon her off-the-wall antics. Some of the down-right frustrating situations that are all a result of her never- can- sit-still personality include spills on the dog, paint spatters on the carpet, contourshoning her body while in her seat at the table awhich then causes juice to splatter as it hits the back of the dog, and then Harriet slid off her chair while the tablecloth came along with her.

Always, Harriet say's "I'm Sorry!" Her mother has the patience of a saint and doesn't resort to yelling, even when Harriet is at her worse. And, her reply to Harriet is "Harriet, my "darling" child. Harriett, you'll drive me wild," "Harriet, sweetheart, what are we to do?" And, as show more always, Harriet replies with her usual, "I'm sorry." And Harriet truly is sorry. She simply cannot help herself.

But when the tablecloth slid off the table, taking everything on the floor, breaking the dishes, spilling milk, and food that finds itself in the dog's mouth, her mother who doesn't like to yell emphatically says her usual "Harriet, you'll drive me wild."

And then, when she is meant to take a nap, Harriet could not help ripping open a pillow, leaving feathers flying everywhere, Hariett's mother doesn't say her usual sentence, instead there was silence followed by loud yelling, lots and lots of unexpected yelling!

This time, Harriet seems to realize that her mother's calmness is gone. Harriett tells her mother that she really, really is sorry!

And, after seeing how upset Harriet is, her mother tells her she is sorry for yelling. Then, they laughed and together pushed the feathers back in the pillow.

While at first I thought no one could be as calm as Harriet's mother, I realized that there was a lesson to be learned by both.

The illustrations are what makes this book so very charming! And, both come away with an understanding that sometimes accidents do happen, and sometimes a parent loses their calm.

Personally, I know that if I did even a little bit of what Harriet did, I would have been spanked and told to go to my room. In some instances the patience of Harriet's mother was difficult to believe, but the author and illustrator try to show, and succeed in relating, that anger is not the best way to deal with a child who simply cannot help but create a mess in most situations. And she truly is sorry for what seems to be behaviour she cannot control. show less

This is an excellent, excellent book for children and adults to read together, especially when they've shared one of THOSE days.

The story is about a little girl who is home with her mom. She is absolutely trying to be good, but she is so young that things just don't work out as expected. She paints a picture for example, and with great excitement she rushes outside to show her mom what she has accomplished; but in her haste she drips paint on the carpet.

At each of the incidents, Harriet's mother just shakes her head but warns that Harriet needs to try a little harder because she's pushing mom to the limits. The exact phrase she uses is: "Harriet Harris, you'll drive me wild."

Well, finally the last button is pushed and mommy has a show more meltdown of her own. She shouts and carries on. And like most mommies after she's had time to cool down and think about it, she is very, very sorry that she yelled so much and so loud.

And that's the great part about this book. Harriet's mom sits with her and apologizes and shows her that we aren't all perfect. At least that's one of the lessons that I took from the book and shared with my two 'Harriets'.

The other lesson I took from the book was for me. That children don't try to push our buttons. It just happens particularly when they are very young. And that we ought show them how to make up after we've had our little blow out.

All in all, maybe a better book for mommies than kids. A good one for the home shelves! show less

Whether she's knocking over her juice, dripping yellow paint on the carpet, or ripping apart feather pillows, Harriet Harris is, well, pesky. She certainly doesn't mean to be. And she's always very sorry for her behavior afterwards. Her mother doesn't like to yell, so instead she reprimands her with a gentle "Harriet, my darling child." But as Harriet's shenanigans escalate, so does her long-suffering mom's blood pressure. It looks like one more mishap will put her over the edge. And when that edge is reached, Harriet's mother yells. She yells and yells and yells.

Harriet Harris, a pesky little girl, does not mean to cause the commotion that she does. She simply "cannot help it". Her days are filled with many messes. Paintings are messy, lunch is messy, and even napping is messy for Harriet. Her mother is very understanding and does not like to yell. However, sometimes, she cannot help it. This story really comes full circle at the end. I realized that Harriet not wanting to be pesky is very similar to how her mother does not want to yell. Both of them seem to struggle with finding a happy medium between breaking rules and discipline. In the end when they both laugh about the day filled with mess, a sense of relief is found. The major theme of this story would be to not fall victim to temptation. show more Harriet did everything she was tempted to do and in the end, her mother gave into the temptation to yell. show less

Harriet is really trying not to misbehave, and her mom is really trying not to get mad at her. But sometimes both things happen. It's touching to see how both of them are trying hard. Mom doesn't like to yell. Harriet says she is sorry, and she means it. The best part is that they both can be forgiving, with themselves and with the other, and then try again.
It's a strong point of this story that both, mom and Harriet, have to effort to control themselves, this way parents and kids can relate with the characters. The repetition of the phrase "just like that" helps to see how natural this situation is.

The illustrations are beautiful, and they really add details to the text of the story being told. That's something so important in a show more picture book, that always involves a reader and a pre reader who follows the story with the help of the images.
Frazer is a very talented illustrator. The illustration that accompanies the "There was a terrible silence" page is SO good! I shows this second of silence before the big explosion with such a vivid tension!

Check out more children's book reviews in my Reviews in Chalk Blog! show less

Mommies lose it too sometimes, which is a good reminder for kids and parents alike. A very positive message about how to mend the fences when frustrations get the best of us.

What a lovely story that teaches patience and unconditional love between a mother and a daughter. This book reminds me to forgive all the little things my kids do and focus on loving them for who they are. Frazee is becoming one of my favorite illustrators.