Inventor McGregor [Hardcover]

Kathleen T. Pelley (Author), Michael Chesworth (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Inventor McGregor can invent most anything that needs
inventing, from a barking bag for the postman to bouncing
boots for wee Willie. At his home workshop, McGregor never
knows when inspiration will hit: while surrounded by his cheery
wife and children, singing a song, or painting a picture. "Just
imagine how many more gadgets and gizmos you'll be able to
think up with a clear head and no distractions," says the
president of the Royal Society of Inventors, inviting him to
work in the city. So why, in his new laboratory, is McGregor
unable to think of a thing?

Rich language that skips and jumps combined with lively,
detailed art brings this delightful story home to young readers
and their parents.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Hector McGregor has a happy life with his wife, five children, and a hen called Hattie. He is good at mending things, but in between jobs he has time to wander among the bluebells, paint pictures, and play his fiddle. Trouble comes when he makes a barking bag to help the postman ward off an errant terrier and discovers that he also has a knack for inventing. He makes bouncing boots for a short child, helping hands for a busy mother, and an alarm clock that pops a deep slumberer out of bed. Hector is persuaded by the president of the Royal Society of Inventors that he will be even more inspired if he works in a laboratory with no distractions. Once ensconced in the lab, however, he finds no inspiration at all. After painting his family on the walls, Hector realizes that his happy home life has been the source of his inspiration all along. Pelley is a native of Scotland, and her text is peppered with colorful expressions ([he] played a rousing reel or a sweeping strathspey, while-¦[his family] whirled and whooshed and wheeched). There is a natural lilt to the language that lends it a folkloric quality. Chesworth's exuberant cartoons capture Hector's joyful family life as well as his forlorn isolation. This charming tale could be coupled with Uri Shulevitz's The Treasure (Farrar, 1979) for a discussion of appreciating what lies directly in front of you.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS. In an uproarious picture book, Inventor McGregor is inspired by his happy family in their higgledy-piggledy house to concoct all kinds of wild thingamabobs and thingamajigs. When the establishment recognizes his genius and moves him to a city studio, his inspiration dries up--until he takes his workshop back to his country home. Preschoolers will love the nonsense of the contraptions, beautifully captured in the sound and the rhythm of the storytelling, with short, sharp sentences about how McGregor fixes squeaky skates, wobbly wagons, tangled kites, knotted yo-yos, headless dolls, and footless soldiers. The wild, double-page watercolor spreads celebrate the farcical gadgets the inventor uses as they show the gluing and hammering of his work and his joyful home. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (March 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374336067
• ISBN-13: 978-0374336066
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #391,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable, September 5, 2006

By 

Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Inventor McGregor (Hardcover)

This is a fun tale about Inventor McGregor, who seemed to be able to invent some sort of gadget to solve just about any problem. His life was filled with joy until he was recognized for his talent and given a job as an inventor. Suddenly things were just not the same and he seemed to have lost his ability to invent. Would he get it back? An interesting children's story with an important lesson about being your self, Inventor McGregor is highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LIVELY STORY DELIGHTFULLY ILLUSTRATED, May 5, 2006

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Inventor McGregor (Hardcover)

Hector is quite a fellow - he can invent anything that makes the world a better place. Thus, people called him Inventor McGregor. However, that isn't his only talent. He can also mend anything that needs mending, thus he's also known as Mend-It McGregor.

He lives happily in a unique house with a perpetually cheerful wife, five children and a hen called Hattie. Things are never dull at their house for in the evenings Hector McGregor played a dance on his fiddle as everyone "whirled and whooshed and wheeched" around the house.

One day Angus the postman brought his mail bag to Hector - it had almost been torn to shreds by a feisty Scottie. Hector invented a barking bag, one that would bark if the Scottie even came close to it. Of course, it sent the dog running with his tail between his legs. Why, Hector even came up with peppermint pencils!

What could be the source of his inspirations? That is something youngsters will discover in this lively story delightfully illustrated by Michael Chesworth.

- Gail Cooke

5.0 out of 5 stars Odd little book, January 21, 2011

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inventor McGregor (Hardcover)

Completely unexpected to have all these Scottish names in the book.

My favorite thing is how creative Hector McGregor was when he was in his happy home. When he moved into the sterile city, his imagination suffered, and he had to move back to the wild and unpredictable countryside in order to be satisfied again.

This book could tip the scales in favor of homeschooling your little genius, if you are right on the edge.