Keeping House [Library Binding]

Margaret Mahy (Author), Wendy Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1991 | Age Level: 5 and up

Ashamed to let the housekeeper see how untidy her house has become, Lizzie Firkin cleans it herself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lizzie Firkin, a songwriter, lives in a decaying old house with her cat and parrot, and spends her nights performing in a nightclub. When the exhausted Lizzie can no longer pick up after herself--and can't walk across the room for clutter--she calls on the services of Robin Puckertucker, a professional housecleaner with a dynamic reputation. Lizzie notices her cat asleep in the breadbox and, worried that the housekeeper will think she is too sloppy, begins to tidy up. By the time Robin arrives, he is dismayed to find that Lizzie's house looks very neat. Noting one idiosyncrasy--all of the cupboard doors are nailed shut--Robin toys with a nail, and is soon buried in an avalanche of debris. Mahy's eccentric story-telling style and Smith's ramblingly explicit drawings are a perfect match. The characterization of Lizzie as a slovenly young woman in the grip of artistic compulsion is wonderfully complete, and the looks she gets from her two pets are priceless. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- Slight entertainment in which most of the joy of the story is in its telling. Lizzie Firkin makes her living writing songs, playing the trombone, and tap-dancing. After her long nights, she is naturally too tired to clean house. In fact, she's taken to nailing particularly messy cupboards shut. Finally, the chaos gets to her and she hires Robin Puckertucker to clean. Of course, she doesn't want him to see how sloppy she really is and begins to clean; Robin arrives to discover an immaculate house and an exhausted Lizzie. As this is rather usual for him, he despairs until, curious, he un-nails the cupboards and discovers Lizzie's guilty secret. This is the approach to take with his other clients: making them open their cupboards as well. A rather predictable plot is given a unique spin by Mahy's inventive use of dialogue and detail, which makes the characters and their actions come alive in a lovably raffish manner. In her cleaning fit, for example, Lizzie dusts the parrot and shakes the crumbs off the cat. Smith's watercolors, with their loose lines and clever detail, follow Mahy's witty lead. While not the most memorable or distinguished book by either author or artist, this is good fun. --Christine Behrmann, New York Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding
• Publisher: Margaret Mcelderry (March 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689505159
• ISBN-13: 978-0689505157
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,480,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret Mahy lives in New Zealand and is internationally acknowledged as one of the most outstanding children's writers today. She is the author of more than two hundred books for children of all ages, two of which have received England's Carnegie Medal and others of which have garnered numerous citations from the American Library Association. She is also the recipient of An Order of New Zealand, the highest honor a citizen can receive. In 2006 she received the Hans Christian Andersen award for her contributions to international children's literature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A family favorite!, September 7, 2010

By 

Saoirse Daly - See all my reviews

This review is from: Keeping House (Library Binding)

This book has lovely illustrations and a great story line. The message (picking up after oneself) is a good one and it is told in a lighthearted way. The main character is likable and comical. It seems appropriate for preschoolers and early elementary-aged children.