Minerva Louise [Hardcover]

Janet Morgan Stoeke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1988 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Minerva Louise

For over twenty years, the inspired silliness of Janet Stoeke's Minerva Louise series has captured imaginations and tickled funny bones. Now the book that introduced the feather-brained fowl is back and just as hilarious as ever. From the flowerpot Minerva uses as a comfy seat to the tricycle she mistakes for a tractor, the daffy details of this clever story are truly memorable. An all-new cover design makes this the perfect introduction for the next generation of Minerva fans.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Unaffected illustrations, captivating in their simplicity, tell of a--literally--foul exploratory outing. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1 Minerva Louise, a chicken- brained white hen, explores the inside of the farm house with a certainty that would make Mr. Magoo proud. She de scribes the household items in terms of her barnyard worldthe cat is a ``friendly cow,'' the bedspread is ``a meadow of flowers''all the while overlooking the people inside. This, the winner of the Dutton Picture Book Competition, is a one-joke story, but one that should nevertheless amuse preschoolers. The simple text in large type is just right for beginning readers. Illustrations are simple outlined shapes in flat blocks of color, bordered with a wavy rule and placed above the text on each page. Minerva Louise, a bean-bag of a chicken, is an engaging fowl. Da vid Gale, ``School Library Journal''
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (March 31, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525443746
• ISBN-13: 978-0525443742
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Where We Live > Farm Life

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best picture book in the universe, January 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Minerva Louise (Hardcover)

Minerva Louise is the chicken version of Amelia Bedelia, and ideal for the youngest children -- the art is bright and bold, the humor very obvious and accessible.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Minerva: Goddess of wisdom, August 3, 2004

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Minerva Louise (Hardcover)

It's never a good idea to begin a review of one book by lambasting a completely different book. But then, I'm not too keen on good ideas. When I look at the beautiful beautiful book that is, "Minerva Louise", I am astonished by its simplicity. It's fabulous how with only a few well chosen lines, author/illustrator Janet Morgan Stoeke is able to create something as perfect as this little book. Compare this with other awful and simplistic books ("Where's Spot?" anyone?) and this becomes even more of a monumental accomplishment than it originally appeared.

The story's just as simple as the pictures. One day the sweet chicken Minerva Louise (who greatly admires the farmhouse) decides that it might be a good idea if she poked her head in and looked around. Once inside she gathers all sorts of odd ideas. A flowerpot of daisies is reduced to flattened flowers when Minerva takes it for a comfortable chair. The sleeping cat? A friendly cow, of course. In her barnyard-mindedness a tricycle is a tractor and a flower coverlet on a bed is a meadow. After further examinations (and unintentional chicken mischief) Minerva decides that she would prefer to live in the yard but that she'll visit the house. In a final panel, Minerva sits contentedly on a pie on the windowsill, "because she loved the house with the red curtains".

And I love Minerva. There just aren't enough worthy chicken protagonists in picture books today. Moreover, there aren't enough picture books that tell a straightforward story with the wit and storytelling skills found in this little marvel. I know I'm gushing over this thing, but it's one of those books you need to see firsthand to understand. Minerva's so amiable that if she was your chicken I'm sure you'd bake pies with the sole purpose of letting her sit on them. This is a very early reader book, and it will make a much loved addition to any child laden home. If I could recommend a single picture book published in the last 20 years with all my heart and soul, it would be the sweet, "Minerva Louise". Miss it, and you're missing out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Wonderful Book, May 3, 2008

By 

hybrid is marion - See all my reviews

This review is from: Minerva Louise (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

This book is one that is still near and dear to my heart, more than 18 years later. It's a simple, sweet tale that my mother read to me (and then I would later read to her) countless times before bed, but it's one that leaves you with a pleasant, satisfied feeling. It's almost magical. Its simplicity is what makes it so very endearing, and I myself would always dream about how delightful it must feel to sit upon a warm, freshly baked pie.