Five Minutes' Peace (Paperback)

by Jill Murphy (Author) "The children were having breakfast..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Mrs. Large just wants five minutes' peace from her three rambunctious elephant children, that's all. But what meets her eyes one morning when she enters the kitchen? "The children were having breakfast. This was not a pleasant sight." Pure understatement for a mealtime mess that includes an overturned cereal box, a dripping jar of honey, crushed soft-boiled eggs and on the littlest one, the wearing of a once-full bowl of corn flakes. So Mrs. Large lumbers off to the bathroom, tea on tray, newspapers in bathrobe pocket. But her bubble bath isn't soothing for long; she's soon joined by three visitors. Lester wants to play a tune for her on the flute. "Must you?" Mrs. Large asks. Laura wishes to read out loud. "Just one page," says Mrs. Large. The toddler offersand he will not be refusedall his bathtoys. Then they hop into the tub. Mrs. Large heads for the kitchen and finds exactly three minutes and 45 seconds of peace. This book is pure joy, one that parents, not just children, will want to keep on hand; Murphy's frazzled mom will find a soft spot in every reader.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2 Mrs. Large determines to have just five minutes' peace from the mess and confusion of her beloved children. She fixes herself a tray, runs a tub of lovely warm water, fills it with bubble bath, and hopes for those precious moments alone before facing the day's activities. The ``activities'' follow her to the bathroom, where, one by one, they present her with their special talents of playing the recorder, reading aloud, and dumping favorite toys from the toy box into the tub with her. When all three children climb in, Mrs. Large decides, with a groan and resignation, that she will try for five minutes' peace in the kitchen. Cheerfully bright watercolor illustrations depict this endearing elephant family with distinctive humor and expression, totally complementing the text on companion pages. However, while the text is simplistic enough for primary readers, the humorous depiction of a beleaguered mother is adult-oriented. Some children may wonder why Mrs. Large wants to get away from her children. Nevertheless, a hearty chuckle can be experienced during a shared reading time between a mother and her childrenperhaps eliciting a bit of understanding. Mary Lou Budd, Milford South Elementary School, Ohio
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (April 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698117875
• ISBN-13: 978-0698117877
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #239,939 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Mom lets kids walk all over her, then gets angry about it?, February 17, 2008

By	Book Lovin' Mom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Minutes' Peace (Paperback)

I don't understand all the positive reviews for this book. It goes against so much of the parenting we practice in our house. First of all, the mother, Mrs. Large, says something we'd consider hurtful in our house--she says she wants a bath "Because I want five minutes' peace from all of YOU." The artwork shows a really cross mom looking at sad, hurt little kids.

Then, to top that off, the pattern of the book is that the mother lets the kids walk all over her. She asks them to stay downstairs and they don't (no consequences from the mom). When interrupted in her bath, she asks her older son to limit his interruption to one song, then he plays it over three times (no consequences from the mom). She asks her daughter to read one page, and her daughter reads five (no consequences from the mom). All the while, Mrs. Large looks more and more frustrated, and more and more the "pity-me" victim.

Finally, fed up with the kids trying to be with her and not listening to her, she leaves the bathroom and again (angry looking while her kids look sad) says "I want five minutes' peace from all of YOU."

Seriously, this book is a twisted view of how we should communicate and treat our kids--and a really sad portrayal of how some moms think they're the victim of their own kids, when really all the kids want is clear communication, fairness, and respect. If you don't want your kids to treat you like a doormat, don't *be* a doormat...and certainly, don't get angry at your kids because you've taught them you ARE a doormat.

If you're looking for a book with this same theme, but not nearly so troubling, try "The Seven Silly Eaters." There, too, the mother gets stressed and overworked by her kids, but there isn't passive aggressive nastiness in that book...and in the end the children learn how to help out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Have you ever just wanted some quiet, alone time?, June 18, 2004

By	...Loggie... "Loggie-log-log-log" (I live on the earth, in the western hemisphere, in North America, in the country of the United States of America, in Illinois in the town of Champaign) - See all my reviews

All mothers will easily be able to relate to Mrs. Large. Mrs. Large just wants five minutes of peace away from her three children, so she decides to take a bath. Minutes later her children join her, one by one, and end up in the bathtub with her. Finally she has had enough, and goes downstairs "where she had three minutes and forty-five seconds of peace before they all came to join her."

Mrs. Large and her family are all elephants, which causes for some absolutely wonderful drawings. My favorite is probably when she is sitting in the bathtub, sipping tea, while wearing a yellow flowered shower cap. The pictures in general are really cute, colorful and expressive. The story is told in a very straightforward, endearing manner. In my opinion, this is a great book.

Loggie-log-log-log

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious "Mom-tries-to-get-peace-from-kids" tale, May 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Five Minutes Peace Nur fünf Minuten Ruh', engl. Ausgabe (Paperback)

Has a plot that EVERY mother will know all too well. Mrs. Elephant futilely tries to relax in the bath; this is impossible with her three active kids. Illustrations are colorful and funny, so is the story. Great gift for ages 3-5 years; older siblings will enjoy listening to it as well.