Customer Reviews

The Big Tidy-Up (A Golden Classic)

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I never knew that this book would be the favorite of so many people...........Norah was my next-door neighbor when I was a little girl and wrote this book about me! The book is completely true - me with black hair, persian cat, pink room, reading with flashlight with hidden snacks under the covers, and exasperated mother. My family still calls me "Messy Jenny". I have improved a little through the years but still have maintained the habit of periodic "big tidy-ups" when things get out of control.

I still have this book from when I was a little girl. I found it in my parent's attic and read it to my 5 year old for the first time a few months ago. SHE LOVES IT! The big pink book is pretty beat up and only held together with packing tape. My daughter picks this book as her first choice almost every night. I wanted to find one in better condition for her to pass on to her children someday. She loves to compare the big picture of "messy Jennifer" at the beginning to the "neat Jennifer" at the end.

This was my daughter, Chelene's, favorite book (she is now 31). She could recite it by heart by the time she was 2 years old. A few years ago I used this book as my oral presentation in an Early Childhood Literature class with a flannel board and everyone loved it! My daughter will still look at a messy room and say, "Jennifer knew as well as you, that everything had it's place..." I was hoping to find a fresh new copy, ours is very loved (and worn out!). Let's get Golden to reissue! A new generation of messy kids are missing out!! ...

I'm now 37 yrs old and this was my all-time favorite book as a child. My mom still has our well worn copy of The Big Tidy Up and reads it to children when she substitute teaches. She tells all the kids that it's a story about her daughter Jenny. I had a pink room, which was always a huge mess. I had the dark hair with bangs like the girl in the book and a big fat cat. I also would at times put a sign on my door telling everyone to "keep out". It would be so wonderful if this book was in print again and I'm sure another generation of girls would love it like so many of us did.

Recently, I was asked to choose my favorite childhood book. It took me awhile but I finally settled on "The Big Tidy Up". I rummaged through my kid's bookshelves and found my well worn copy. It brings back lots of warm memories of reading the book and pouring over the illustrations. I remember wishing it was that magical to clean my room and transform myself into a neat person. My mom gave me the book when I was an 8 year old messy. I see that it is out of print and even a worn copy is quite expensive, so I'll be keeping my copy in a safer place from now on!

I still have this book from my childhood and read it regularly to my four children. We all know the words by heart and love to read it together. At 30 something, I am still captured by the fun words and bold illustrations. This should not be out of print - it is timeless!!

My mother brought this book home to me after a trip to Florida in the '70's. I was a young teacher in an integrated day care centre and read this book over and over to the children in my care. Their parents would ask me with glee,what I had done to motivate the cleaning sprees. For 10 years my classes and I memorized the book and "tidy-up time" became much more fun for us all! Unfortunately, the book's popularity became it's undoing-literally, as other teachers would borrow it, and eventually tape could no longer hold the worn pages together. I can not believe a book as funny, useful and entertaining as this could possibly go out of print- the rhyming rhythm still hums in my head 30 years later! "Jennifer knew, as well as you..." Thankyou, Norah Smaridge! Golden, please reprint this classic?!

This was my favorite book as a child. My parents read it to me so often that I could recite it from memory at age 2, to a blind friend of the family. My copy is in terrible shape, and I had really hoped to find a better one. If anyone can help me, I'd really appreciate it.

" Jennifer knew as well as you, that everything had a place. But she didn't care a whit or a bit so her room was a real disgrace!".....I really want to replace this book..my daughter is now 34 and has yet to forgive me for losing it.

Of all of the books I read as a child, this one is my all time favorite. My mom, dad, sister and I still burst into "Jennifer knew as well as you..." all the time. A wonderful read. I hope one day to read it to my child. If only it were still in print!