Happy Birthday, Mrs. Millie!

by Judy Cox, Joe Mathieu (Illustrator)

Overview

Every morning at school, Mrs. Millie says, “Please hang up your book bugs.”

The kindergarteners know she means book bags, and they laugh whenever their teacher talks silly. On Mrs Millie’s birthday, the children decide to throw a surprise party. They decorate the classroom with baboons (balloons) and set out chocolate cubcakes (cupcakes) and apple moose (juice). Mrs. Millie has never enjoyed such a wonderful bird-day! The illustrations rendered in Prismacolor pencil, dyes, pen, and ink highlight the fun in this classroom romp.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761461265
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	05/01/2012
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD480L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Author Judy Cox teaches kindergarten in a small town in Oregon. Like Mrs. Millie, she likes to tease her kindergators. She has written a number of picture books, including Mrs. Millie Goes to Philly!, Pick a Pumpkin, Mrs. Millie!, and The Mystery of the Burmese Bandicoot. She lives in Ontario, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

Mrs. Millie's silliness with mixed-up words continues as her students plan a few birthday surprises, and this time, it is not just Mrs. Millie who gets her words wrong (Don't Be Silly, Mrs. Millie!, 2005, etc.). The kids begin it by having their parents help them "decorate the classroom with colorful baboons. / Oh! We mean balloons." They lay out treats, knowing that Mrs. Millie will call them "cubcakes" when she sees them, and lay in a good supply of "apple moose" to drink. Then it's time for the party. They surprise Mrs. Millie and go through all the normal birthday rituals--presents, cake, blowing out the candle, making a wish and playing games. Every spread save one features some sort of word mix-up, whether based on rhymes (moose and juice) or just words that sound similar (camel and candle). Cox's text leans heavily on Mathieu's brightly colored pencil-and-watercolor illustrations for humor, and he definitely delivers. The zany mash-ups he creates are sure to elicit giggles in readers, though they may not last through repeated readings once they get over the novelty. His cast of characters includes a mix of skin colors, though it would have been nice if their facial expressions were just as varied. While the schtick may be getting a little old for everyday readers, clever teachers could turn this into a creative writing/art lesson that works for multiple grade levels. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews