Eppie M. Says [Hardcover]

Olivier Dunrea (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1990

Life on the farm is never dull for Ben, who faithfully follows his big sister's advice in such things as swallowing a live minnow so he can swim like a fish or washing his face in raindrops so he will never grow old.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ben Salem is as exuberant and curious a boy as anyone is likely to find. He is also entirely under the spell of his older sister, Eppie M., who "knows how to read" and gives freely of her knowledge and opinions to all. Eppie M. tells her brother that if he shuts his eyes and walks backward he will reach Australia; the fact that he ends up "in the pig wallow" in no way diminishes Ben's faith in his sister. After all, he knows a falsehood when he hears one: "Eppie M. says that babies fall from the sky on rainy days in September," but Ben knows full well that they are found under rocks. The outlandish antics of the two siblings brim with rural charm and clever visual asides, such as the old lady who levitates calmly over the barnyard reading a book entitled Float, You Can Do It!. Precise, delicately hued illustrations possess an antic flair that is both invigorating and entertaining. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Here the author of Eddy B., Pigboy (McElderry, 1983) and other small gems has created an irresistible rural celebration of sibling devotion. When Eppie says that goose eggs held under each arm will hatch out dinosaurs, or if you look into a sheep's mouth you can see his stomach, her little brother Ben faithfully believes her--after all, she can read, and Gran says she's "a regular Miss Know-It-All." Some of her pronouncements may be doubtful (Ben knows there are no monsters under his bed, because Percy Blue, a fierce-looking piglet, sleeps there), but no matter--Eppie's his favorite person in the world. Brother and sister dance joyfully through a barnyard busy with delicately rendered pigs and piglets, chicks, mice , and baby dolls, all of which spend less time on the ground than hurtling through the air, hanging from a tree or a balloon, being juggled, chasing , and being chased. Quirky details--dentures drying on the clothesline, strange people wandering (or floating) by--add to the general hilarity. The brief text is handlettered but easily read. --John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (October 30, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0027332055
• ISBN-13: 978-0027332056
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,664,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Olivier Dunrea is the creator of beautiful and well-loved children's books. A painter and a sculptor, his work centers around medieval farms, farm animals, architecture, and folklore. He lives in a 100 year old Arts and Crafts house in a tiny, remote mountain village on the western edge of the Catskills Mountains. More of Olivier's art and life can be seen at www.olivierdunrea.com