The Runaway Shirt

by Kathy MacMillan, Julia Castano (Illustrator)

Overview

Laundry is a chore, but when a child climbs in the basket, everything becomes a game. Follow along as this mother takes a break from folding clothes to join her child in the delightful laughter of imagination. In The Runaway Shirt, housework and pretend play come together to transport readers to a kid’s world of wonder and excitement. Each page of charming illustration is a work in joy and mirth. Who knew folding laundry could be so fun?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641702515
Publisher:	Familius
Publication date:	08/12/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	438,072
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 12.35(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Kathy MacMillan is a nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, writer, teacher, librarian, and storyteller. She is the author of the board books Nita's First Signs and Nita's Day (Familius), the young adult novels Sword and Verse and Dagger and Coin (HarperTeen), and nine books for parents, librarians, and educators, including Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together (Huron Street Press). 

Editorial Reviews

"A sweet depiction of how even a mundane task can turn into a fun game given some imagination, patience, and love."
-School Library Journal

"Many a young reader will giggle in recognition of similarly enacted pretend games of their own."
-Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

07/24/2020

PreS-K—Few things are as irresistible to a toddler as a pile of clean clothes. A small child dressed in an oversized shirt sneaks into the laundry basket and mischievously waits for the mother to notice. After folding "a towel, a pair of pants, and some underwear" she decides she will "fold this shirt next," scooping up her giggling offspring. "First one sleeve, then the other. Then I fold it in half" she says, but the laughing "shirt" escapes and will not stay put on the bed, in the drawer, or in the closet, scattering everything in the process. Finally, "wearing" (lovingly hugging) the wayward garment and its occupant stops the merry chase, and the pair begin folding a towel together. Castaño's vivacious yet soothingly earth-toned illustrations with bold graphic patterns bring out the humor in MacMillan's text, providing droll contrast to the seemingly straightforward narration. VERDICT An additional, but charming, purchase. With whimsical vibes reminiscent of William Steig's Pete's a Pizza, a sweet depiction of how even a mundane task can turn into a fun game given some imagination, patience, and love.—Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Lib., Boston Univ.

School Library Journal

2020-08-18
As a mother does the laundry, she takes a break to play a pretend game with her young child.

When she starts folding the laundry the child can be seen climbing into the laundry basket behind her. She folds a few items and then reaches over to fold a shirt. Only this is a special shirt—the child is inside it, but she pretends to pay this detail no mind. “First one sleeve, then the other. Then I fold it in half,” she says, folding the child’s knees up over crossed arms. “But the shirt [does] not stay folded.” When she repeats the operation and places the shirt alongside the rest of the folded clothes on the bed, “the shirt [does] not stay on the bed.” And so the game proceeds, with the mother trying to put the shirt into a drawer and then trying to drape it on a hanger. When at last she decides to wear it instead, the game is up. Mother and child tumble over in an embrace, laundry scattering all over. “ ‘I love you, shirt,’ she whispered. ‘I love you, Mommy,’ said the shirt.” Many a young reader will giggle in recognition of similarly enacted pretend games of their own. The illustrations, unfortunately, are a little stiff, and their faces and body language do not reflect as much emotion as the game would suggest. Mother and child are depicted with brown hair and olive skin.

Sweet, if a little bland. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews