Mrs. Noodlekugel and Four Blind Mice (Mrs. Noodlekugel Series #2)

by Daniel Pinkwater, Adam Stower (Illustrator)

Overview

“Sly, sweet illustrations provide piquant punctuation for Pinkwater’s special brand of nonsense.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

When Mrs. Noodlekugel’s four mice make a terrible mess at tea, she decides to take the mice to visit the eye doctor — and invites Nick and Maxine to come along. Who could predict they’d meet a rough-edged alley cat with a surprising connection to Mr. Fuzzface, Mrs. Noodlekugel’s talking cat? It’s all a day in the life of Daniel Pinkwater’s whimsical characters. A comical tone and cozy black-and-white illustrations are sure to keep young chapter-book readers coming back for more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763676582
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	02/24/2015
Series:	Mrs. Noodlekugel Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	981,761
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

 

Editorial Reviews

If Pinkwater’s first Mrs. Noodlekugel book didn’t persuade readers, the second one will: it’s Mrs. Noodlekugel’s matter-of-factly loopy world—we just live in it. ... Stower’s sly, sweet illustrations provide piquant punctuation for Pinkwater’s special brand of nonsense...
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A savory episode for noodle—er, newly independent or struggling readers.
—Kirkus Reviews

Clever, as always, Pinkwater’s quirky story with a touch of whimsy will amuse many readers.
—Booklist Online

Readers will appreciate the characters’ distinct personalities and the book’s wacky humor. Plenty of black-and-white illustrations bring every step of the group’s journey to life. Mrs. Noodlekugel’s fan base will undoubtedly continue to grow with this addition; her books will surely join the canon of must-read beginning chapter-book series.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

If Pinkwater’s first Mrs. Noodlekugel book didn’t persuade readers, the second one will: it’s Mrs. Noodlekugel’s matter-of-factly loopy world—we just live in it. Even her babysitting charges, Nick and Maxine, now show little surprise at how life unfolds under Mrs. Noodlekugel’s watch. When she announces that her four pet mice are “very farsighted” (just look at the mess they’ve made of teatime) and need to visit an oculist, the kids’ only question is, “You want us to come with you on the bus?” Three pairs of tiny eyeglasses, four pieces of Dirty Sally’s famous cheesecake (served by a monkey), and one mice escape later, Mrs. Noodlekugel’s cantankerous talking cat hears the words he’s been longing to hear ever since he was a kitten: “Fuzzface, I yam yer fadder.” Stower’s sly, sweet illustrations provide piquant punctuation for Pinkwater’s special brand of nonsense, and certainly clear up any questions about how a mouse eye exam works. And is the model for that policeman who helps Mrs. Noodlekugel in her hour of need none other than Pinkwater himself? Ages 5–9. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Arena Illustration. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

The archetypal babysitter introduced in Mrs. Noodlekugel (2012) takes a quartet of farsighted mice to the oculist for an exam in this equally offbeat second chapter. As Pinkwater fans know to expect, the plot zigzags from one wild twist to the next. On the bus, Mrs. Noodlekugel and her loquacious cat, Mr. Fuzzface, regale enthralled young human charges Nick and Maxine with exploits from her previous career as a railroad engineer. Rising to the challenge of testing four mice who can't read, the doctor cheerfully whips out a unique eye chart. Then, new eyeglasses merit a celebratory stop at Dirty Sally's Lunchroom, where the waiter is a monkey and the sugar rush caused by the cheesecake touches off a chase that culminates in an astonishing family reunion. Printed in short, well-spaced lines of easily visible type with much room for spot art (finished illustrations not seen), the outing offers plenty of action, easy yuks and characters--from the visually challenged mice to Mrs. Noodlekugel herself, who plainly carries literary DNA from Mary Poppins, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and perhaps Pippi Longstocking too--who will seem familiar to young audiences. A savory episode for noodle--er, newly independent or struggling readers. (Fantasy. 8-10)

Kirkus Reviews