Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! [Paperback]

Mem Fox (Author), Marla Frazee (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Harriet doesn't mean to be pesky. Sometimes she just is. And her mother doesn't mean to lose her temper. Sometimes she just does.
But Harriet and her mother know that even when they do things they wish they hadn't, they still love each other very much.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Whether she's knocking over her juice, dripping yellow paint on the carpet, or ripping apart feather pillows, Harriet Harris is, well, pesky. She certainly doesn't mean to be. And she's always very sorry for her behavior afterwards. Her mother doesn't like to yell, so instead she reprimands her with a gentle "Harriet, my darling child." But as Harriet's shenanigans escalate, so does her long-suffering mom's blood pressure. It looks like one more mishap will put her over the edge. And when that edge is reached, Harriet's mother yells. She yells and yells and yells.

Readers on both sides of the family battlefield will wholeheartedly identify with the oh-so-real experiences of Harriet and her mom. Sometimes accidents just happen, and sometimes yelling just happens. But even when family members make mistakes, they still love each other, as these two prove when they start laughing and cleaning up the big feathery mess after the apologies and hugs. Mem Fox is an internationally known literary consultant and author of many picture books, including Boo to a Goose and Sleepy Bears. Marla Frazee's pictures are exactly right: Harriet's unruly hair and guileless expressions perfectly capture the soul of a 4- or 5-year-old. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Harriet is what grown-ups refer to as a handful. Through the course of a day, the youngster, perhaps accidentally, knocks over her juice, drips paint from her picture onto the carpet and slides off her chair at lunchtime, taking the tablecloth with her. Her mother, who "didn't like to yell," handles each incident with good-humored restraint: "Harriet, my darling child. Harriet, you'll drive me wild. Harriet, sweetheart, what are we to do?" But at naptime, Harriet gets on her mother's last nerve when she intentionally rips open a feather pillow: "Then Harriet's mother began to yell./ She yelled and yelled and yelled." It's a situation that may well ring true for every family, and Fox (Sleepy Bears), in a rhythm well known to her fans, resolves it with good sense and warmth (mother and daughter apologize to each other, share a giggle and embark on clean-up together). Visually, the book never strikes a false note: Frazee's (The Seven Silly Eaters) handsome domestic vignettes, framed by generous white space, are realistic and reassuring. All this authenticity, however, adds up to something less than compellingAthe book ultimately feels more like a parenting article than something children will clamor to hear and see again. Ages 3-7. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152045988
• ISBN-13: 978-0152045982
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MEM FOX is the author of many acclaimed books, including Possum Magic, Koala Lou, Time for Bed, and, for adults, Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever. She lives in Adelaide, Australia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Made us laugh after one of THOSE days!, May 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! (Hardcover)

Parents and children relate completely to this charming story. My 3 year old son is also "pesky" and he loves this book! I particularly like the illustrations - not just of Harriet's accidents, but of the everyday tasks her mother is TRYING to accomplish - such as paying bills, watering plants, reading the paper and talking on the phone. This book is recommended for any parent who has "lost it" after dealing with a preschooler's messes - I guess that means any parent!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YOU MUST GET THIS FOR YOUR TODDLER!!!, March 14, 2007

By 

Meddie B. Finnegan (Denver) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! (Paperback)

When my son was born, my perfect daughter became a hellion, and I became a screaming lunatic. We have all visited the dark side, I think.

So, I bought this book about a two-ish to three-ish year old who makes a lot of big mistakes. She is not naughty, just little and curious. And the mother, who is trying to do laundry or pay the bills or eat lunch, it patient, and patient, and patient some more. And then Mom LOSES it. Then everyone apoligizes and hugs and laughs at how hard it is to be a human being - whether you are two or 32.

My daughter read this again and again, especially when we were driving each other crazy. If you have a little one, espec. one who is acting out because there is a new brother or sister, this book is for you.

By the way, Harriet does not have a new baby in this story. She is just a wonderfully messy kid.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Long Last!, April 19, 2003

By 

Libby "Heavens Peas" (TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! (Hardcover)

As the mom of a wee girl named Harriet (and one named Gracie, one named Mabel and one named Esther...) I can truly appreciate just how wonderfully pesky little girls can be :o) The Lunachicks and I simply adore this book which is chock full of humor and heart. I appreciate the mom in the background trying to pay bills and talk on the phone and tidy and fix lunch with a busy soul always buzzing around her feet. The girls really identify with the fact that Harriet doesn't mean to cause trouble but, somehow, she does. In short, we all feel that this is the story of our lives. I often have to steady my voice to read the last few lines bc it is such a funny and tender look at what life is like with small children.