Unaware that Mrs. Jenkins is polishing up her set of magical tools in the backyard, young Patrick finds himself in a fantastic world of imagination in which he comes face-to-face with such incredible items as a bubble machine and a friendly dragon.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Wood's (Rude Giants; Weird Parents) intentionally far-fetched yet annoyingly disconnected plot gets a vital boost from Teague's buoyant, whimsical art. His robust, full-page acrylic paintings propel the tale along at a giddy pace as Patrick offers a whirlwind tour of the busy world he has fashioned from some magical tools. They are on loan from white-haired Mrs. Jenkins, whom Patrick's parents hire to help paint their house. After a week's work, the boy proudly invites everyone for a tour of "his new place," a sequence of settings that includes a garden teeming with "creepy-crawly things," a chamber filled with bubble-blowing machines, a Food Room offering limitless edible treats, a gravity-defying room where the visitors can jump up and down and "scream all you want," a pirate ship, and a field roamed by wild animals and a Tyrannosaurus rex. There's no real story here, just a catalogue of hackneyed but kid-obliging scenarios. Ages 4-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?The summer Patrick's parents hire Mrs. Jenkins to help them paint the house, the handywoman lends the bored boy her "special tools" to make a creation of his own. At the end of the week, it is revealed: a Small Creature Garden in the Subterranean Room, connected by a Zig-Zaggity-Ladder to the Bubble Room. Then there's the Food Room, where pig waiters serve treats of all kinds to diners of a variety of species; the Jumping Room, where rabbits and frogs join jumping humans; and a sail upon the Jolly Mermaid, where the underwater fire lizard is converted into a harmless handful; and finally the Friendly Wild Animal Room. The text, primarily in dialogue, is wonderfully deadpan. The full-color paintings, done in a retro, 1950s style, are loaded with sly visual humor. Creatures stare out at readers, and each room is a marvel of construction. Shifts in perspective add to the lively tempo of the book. Double-page spreads reflect expert composition, drawing the eye inevitably to some unique detail. Mrs. Jenkins, a wonderfully wacky Jill-of-all-trades, is an added bonus in this nontraditional adventure. Inventive and refreshing, this picture book vividly reflects a young child's active imagination. Kids will ask for read-aloud encores, and it will be a terrific imagination starter.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
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More About the Author
AUDREY WOOD is the much-loved author of more than thirty books for children, including the bestselling The Napping House, Piggies, Heckedy Peg, and most recently, Piggy Pie Po, which she collaborated on with her husband, Don Wood.
She lives in Hawaii.
My first memories are of Sarasota, Florida in the winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers' Circus. I was one year old and remember it vividly. My father, an art student, was making extra income by repainting circus murals.
The people in the circus were my friends. I was bounced on the knee of the tallest man in the world and rocked in the arms of the fat lady who could not stand up. My first baby-sitters were a family of little people who lived in a trailer next to ours. They tAudrey2old me stories about the animals they worked with: Chi Chi the Chimpanzee, an elephant named Elder, and Gargantua the Gorilla.
My mother says I was a fast learner, always ahead of my age. My father taught me to swim before I could walk. I walked at seven months and climbed over a seven foot chain link fence when I was one year old. Everyone in the circus thought I was going to be a trapeze artist.
When I was two, I traveled with my parents to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where they studied art. Spanish became my second language. Because my mother read to me every day, I fell in love with books and was reading by age three.
My parents had two more girls, which made me the oldest sister. All of us were trained in the arts: music, dance, painting, and drama. We had a miniature stage in our basement, complete with light-bulb floodlights and a dusty red velvet curtain. Admission for the plays we produced was a bargain--twenty-five cents.
When I was in the first grade, I wanted to grow up to be an artist like my father. Then, in the fourth grade, I decided I'd like to be a children's book author. As an adult who writes and illustrates children's books, I have realized both my childhood ambitions.
I got in trouble in school once for crossing out my favorite author's name and putting in mine--Audrey Brewer instead of Dr. Seuss!
My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all professional artists. Since I am also a professional artist, there are four consecutive generations of artists in our family. However, I am the only female artist.
On our honeymoon, I read my new husband Don Wood the classic children's book entitled At the Back of the North Wind. Seven years later, we teamed up to create our first picture book together.
When our son Bruce Robert was two years old, I began to read picture books to him. He helped to remind me of my childhood ambitions. That's when I began to write children's books seriously.
www.Audreywood.com
She lives in Hawaii.
My first memories are of Sarasota, Florida in the winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers' Circus. I was one year old and remember it vividly. My father, an art student, was making extra income by repainting circus murals.
The people in the circus were my friends. I was bounced on the knee of the tallest man in the world and rocked in the arms of the fat lady who could not stand up. My first baby-sitters were a family of little people who lived in a trailer next to ours. They tAudrey2old me stories about the animals they worked with: Chi Chi the Chimpanzee, an elephant named Elder, and Gargantua the Gorilla.
My mother says I was a fast learner, always ahead of my age. My father taught me to swim before I could walk. I walked at seven months and climbed over a seven foot chain link fence when I was one year old. Everyone in the circus thought I was going to be a trapeze artist.
When I was two, I traveled with my parents to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where they studied art. Spanish became my second language. Because my mother read to me every day, I fell in love with books and was reading by age three.
My parents had two more girls, which made me the oldest sister. All of us were trained in the arts: music, dance, painting, and drama. We had a miniature stage in our basement, complete with light-bulb floodlights and a dusty red velvet curtain. Admission for the plays we produced was a bargain--twenty-five cents.
When I was in the first grade, I wanted to grow up to be an artist like my father. Then, in the fourth grade, I decided I'd like to be a children's book author. As an adult who writes and illustrates children's books, I have realized both my childhood ambitions.
I got in trouble in school once for crossing out my favorite author's name and putting in mine--Audrey Brewer instead of Dr. Seuss!
My great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all professional artists. Since I am also a professional artist, there are four consecutive generations of artists in our family. However, I am the only female artist.
On our honeymoon, I read my new husband Don Wood the classic children's book entitled At the Back of the North Wind. Seven years later, we teamed up to create our first picture book together.
When our son Bruce Robert was two years old, I began to read picture books to him. He helped to remind me of my childhood ambitions. That's when I began to write children's books seriously.
www.Audreywood.com
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A springboard for imagination,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Flying Dragon Room (Hardcover)
I particulary enjoyed this book by my favorite picture book author because I was able to take my children to see Ms. Wood and Mr. Teague when it came out. I have used it in my classroom as a springboard for a writing activity because it is a wonderful reminder that with imagination and books you can go anywhere and do anything. The characters drift from room to room without any particular plot, but it is forgivable because the book celebrates the "can-do" spirit of childhood. My three year old wants to read it over and over to watch where "Baby Sarah" ends up and look at the cornucopia of images on every page. I always prefer Don Wood's illustrations with her books, but if you can relinquish that expectation the pictures are a lot of fun.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy this book and let your imagination soar!,
By A Customer
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Flying Dragon Room (Paperback)
This is an excellent, imaginative book that my 3 1/2 year-old son absolutely loved. We are big fans of Mark Teague's illustrations and found this book because of him, but we now love Audrey Wood, as well. This book is adventurous, but not scarey, as well as fun and playful. It would be an excellent gift for ages 2.5-5 years.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Epitome of creativity,
By
This review is from: The Flying Dragon Room (Paperback)
This is one of those charming little books that happily manage to place the most fantastic and impossible of ideas well in the realms of mundania to provide a wondrous story of a boy tour-guide and a fantastic building.When his parents don't allow him to help with the apparently very mature task of painting the house, a boy borrows magic tools to keep himself busy and out of trouble. But when the week is up, he is ready to take his family on a tour of an underground wonderland of miniature beasts and bouncing rooms. The marvelous pictures move the story along, as well do the delightfully understated dialogue and characters who happily go along the wild ride. Great fantasy for kids.
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Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
It all happened because of the Flying Dragon Room, or so they say, though Patrick didn't know that at first. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Baby Sarah New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
It all happened because of the Flying Dragon Room, or so they say, though Patrick didn't know that at first. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Baby Sarah New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
6
books
cite this book:
See all 6 books citing this book
- Ready-to-go Management Kit For Teaching Genre: Dozens of Engaging Response Activities to Use With Any Book That Help Kids Explore 10 Genres Independently by Luann Feely Et Al in Back Matter
- Guys write for Guys read by Jon Scieszka on page 239
- The Emperor's New Clothes : An All-Star Retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale (with Audio CD) by Starbright Foundation in Back Matter
- I Can Do That With My Kid: Family Activities That Encourage Reading, Writing, Communicating and a Positive Self-Esteem by Rhonda S. Kehlbeck in Back Matter
- The Emperors New Clothes: An All-Star Illustrated Retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale by Hans Christian Andersen in Back Matter
See all 6 books citing this book
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