Hazel's Amazing Mother (Picture Puffins) [Mass Market Paperback]

Rosemary Wells (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up | Series: Picture Puffins

When Hazel and her beloved doll Eleanor are set upon by bullies, Hazel's mother comes to the rescue in a surprising way.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Building fantasy on the solid foundation of a mother's championship, Wells acquaints her readers with more of the endearing anthropomorphs that have made her picture books lasting favorites. Hazel is a small raccoon. Taking her doll Eleanor in a stroller, she buys picnic snacks to share with Mom and Eleanor at lunchtime. The shopper is among familiar, friendly people until she loses her way on a hill where three young toughs surround her. (The meanest is Doris, a chipmunk!) They tear poor Eleanor apart and throw her stroller into a pond. Although Hazel is far from home, she cries, "Mother, I need you," and mother is there. Carried by magic to the top of a tree, the mother thunders orders at the ruffians and they obey instantlysewing the doll together again, cleaning the carriageand then get while the getting's good. Full-color pictures with delightful embellishments stamp the book unmistakably a Wells creation.
Copyright 1985 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 The power of maternal love fuels this fantasy. Hazel, a whimsical badger who wears a girl's wide-brimmed hat, blouse and skirt, strolls her doll around town. On the way home, she becomes lost. She is set upon by buck-toothed beaver Doris and her two friends, who unstuff her doll and throw her carriage into the lake. Just in time, a gust of wind blows mother into the tree under which Hazel stands (attributed to the power of love), and the bullies are ordered to repair the doll and retrieve her carriage. Large-format black-ink drawings with comic detail are solidly filled in with cheerful bright watercolors. Hazel's almost illuminant yellow blouse focuses attention on her on each page. A well-crafted fantasy with quality illustrations that relates to many story time themes, this deserves first purchase consideration. When reading the book aloud, though, please warn children that they, unlike Hazel, should not be taking shelter under a tree during a lightning storm. Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Ohio
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (October 2, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140549110
• ISBN-13: 978-0140549119
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #410,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( W ) > Wells, Rosemary

More About the Author

Born in New York City, Rosemary Wells grew up in a house "filled with books, dogs, and nineteenth-century music." Her childhood years were spent between her parents' home near Red Bank, New Jersey, and her grandmother's rambling stucco house on the Jersey Shore. Most of her sentimental memories, both good and bad, stem from that place and time. Her mother was a dancer in the Russian Ballet, and her father a playwright and actor. Mrs. Wells says, "Both my parents flooded me with books and stories. My grandmother took me on special trips to the theater and museums in New York. "Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than 30 years and 60 books. She has won numerous awards, and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She has also given Mother Goose new life in two enormous, definitive editions, published by Candlewick. Wells wrote and illustrated Unfortunately Harriet, her first book with Dial, in 1972. One year later she wrote the popular Noisy Nora. "The children and our home life have inspired, in part, many of my books. Our West Highland white terrier, Angus, had the shape and expressions to become Benjamin and Tulip, Timothy, and all the other animals I have made up for my stories." Her daughters Victoria and Beezoo were constant inspirations, especially for the now famous "Max" board book series. "Simple incidents from childhood are universal," Wells says. "The dynamics between older and younger siblings are common to all families."But not all of Wells' ideas come from within the family circle. Many times when speaking, Mrs. Wells is asked where her ideas come from. She usually answers, "It's a writer's job to have ideas." Sometimes an idea comes from something she reads or hears about, as in the case of her recent book, Mary on Horseback, a story based on the life of Mary Breckenridge, who founded the Frontier Nursing Service. Timothy Goes to School was based on an incident in which her daughter was teased for wearing the wrong clothes to a Christmas concert. Her dogs, west highland terriers, Lucy and Snowy, work their way into her drawings in expression and body position. She admits, "I put into my books all of the things I remember. I am an accomplished eavesdropper in restaurants, trains, and gatherings of any kind. These remembrances are jumbled up and changed because fiction is always more palatable than truth. Memories become more true as they are honed and whittled into characters and stories."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All-time favorite, October 26, 2004

By 

Chicago Mom (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hazel's Amazing Mother (Picture Puffins) (Mass Market Paperback)

My daughter, who is now 5 1/2, absolutely loved this book from the time she was about 2. It is a delightful story and the artwork is whimsical and fun. When she was little, she particularly loved the last page of the book where Hazel and her mother have their picnic. She would point out each type of food and name it for me. To this day, when she has a piece of toast with jam, she says, "I'll have a piece of toast with jam from the jelly man."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new favorite, March 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hazel's Amazing Mother (Picture Puffins) (Mass Market Paperback)

My three-year-old daughter was immediately drawn into this wonderful story of a Mom who comes to the rescue. I still have days when I wish my mom could rescue me, so I enjoyed this tale, too. And the artwork is pure delight!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for children and parents to read together!, July 30, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Hazel's Amazing Mother (Picture Puffins) (Mass Market Paperback)

Hazel's Amazing Mother is a wonderful book, full of excitement and adventure. Hazel is her mother's biggest fan -- and for good reason! Her mother comes to the rescue in a very unusual way! Read it with someone you love