3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why you should never live in a pumpkin, October 8, 2004
This review is from: Mr. Murry and Thumbkin (Hardcover)
We just received this book last week , and we've already read it a few times. The story is reminiscent of the ant and the grasshopper.The story is about two mice ,first there's Mr. Murry who always worries and is busy preparing for the winter ahead,and than there's Thumbkin who makes his home in a pumpkin and never thinks about tomorrow. He lies around all day taking it easy, while Mr. Murry is always busy.When the two mice meet , Mr. Murry tries to warn Thumbkin about the foolishness of living in a pumpkin house , but of course Thumbkin doesn't listen.As time passes , the pumpkin rots away and the top collapses. Now Thumbkin's house has no roof .AT first Thumbkin says it doesn't matter he still has half a pumpkin, but he soon discovers that Mr. Murry was right , it's snowing, he's freezing, and he has no where else to go. He should have prepared for the winter.He should have listened to Mr. Murry and moved into a better house. Well , Mr. Murry of course comes to the rescue , he goes to Thumbkin and tells him that he can live with him in his teapot house. I feel that the story teaches some good lessons. It teaches not to just live for today, you do have to think about tomorrow. It teaches about compassion,and helping those less fortunate than yourself. Also, I love the illustrations,and the text flows smoothly, making it a very enjoyable story for both child and adult.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
GOOD LESSONS TO BE LEARNED. WELL WRITTEN TEXT AND GREAT ART WORK, August 11, 2011
This review is from: Mr. Murry and Thumbkin (Hardcover)
Karma Wilson is one of the best. This work, `Mr. Murry and Thumbkin' is quite typical of her work and is a completely delightful read. It is another take on the Ant and Grasshopper story with some very neat twists. We are firs introduced to Mr. Murry:
"Once there was a furry mouse,
a skitter, scatter, scurry mouse,
a flurry-about-in-a-hurry mouse,
whose name was Mr. Murry Mouse.
He lived alone in a old teapot,
and Mr. Murry worried a LOT.
`Are the days too short?
Are the nights too cold?
Is my tail too long?
Are my teeth too old?'
He worried away each and every day.
Then..."
Suddenly Mr. Murry has a new neighbor; a neighbor who is very, very unlike Mr. Murry...
"Next door there moved another mouse
into a pretty pumpkin house,
a carefree country-bumpkin mouse
who went by the name of Thumbkin Mouse.
Thumbkin lay around all day
just gnawing on a stalk of hay........."
Yes, we have the old story of a very industrious little mouse who is worried sick about his new neighbor who does absolutely noting buy lay around all day, singing, sleeping, and "frittered away each and every day."
Mr. Murry points out the fact that a pumpkin does not make a very good house, especially as winter is coming. Thumbkin does not listen and continues his nonproductive little life and as a matter of fact starts eating his own house.
Well winter finally get there and you can imagine the results! What to do? What to do?
This is a wonderful little tale with a very happy ending. The art work here by Ard Hoyt is wonderfully detailed and a delight to the eye. The artist has captured the essence of the two opposite individual perfectly along with the situation both of them find themselves in.
There are two nice little lessons here...first, it is silly not to look ahead and not to prepare for the future and secondly a wonderful little lesson in compassion and helping your neighbor. This is good stuff folks.
This is a great group read and can stimulate much discussion if prompted by the adult reader.
I agree fully with another reviewer here in that it is a true pitty this one is now out of print.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
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