Customer Reviews

PeeWee's Tale (Park Pals Adventure)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When an author sits down to write a book, she/he uses many elements: fact, memory and imagination. My book about PeeWee began with fact. I read an article in the New York Times telling of 45 guinea pigs set loose in Central Park because their owner faced eviction by his landlord. A few days later, a second story told that most were captured, sent to an animal shelter, and put up for adoption. Starting with that fact, I began to imagine what would happen to a single guinea pig that was not found. Memory came to play because I recalled the parents of two of my own children's friends. Both released pet kittens onto the city streets when their children were not home because they felt stressed and unable to continue the responsibility of pet ownership. As the owner of two pet cats myself, I was shocked when I heard what these parents had done. And finally, when I sat down to write about that little guinea pig, my imagination took over. Suddenly, the little guinea pig was looking at the newspaper scraps in his cage and discovering the mystery of the printer letter. His wise mother, who grew up in a first grade classroom, teaches him how to read. His reading skills together with his friendship with a street smart squirrel named Lexi helpt she hero of the fantasy survive.

Here is another news story that I have not written about: a few years ago, a crate of tropical parrots broken open at Kennedy Airport. The small green birds flew free and everyone predicted that they would soon die in the cold and hostile climate of the New York area. But as recently as a week ago, a cousin of mine who lives in Connecticut saw two dozen of these parrots in a local park. Somehow, they have adapted and continued to live and reproduce despite cold weather, snow, different vegetation and new enemies. Like human immigrants before them, they are learning to live and thrive here. It's my favorite kind of story - one with a happy ending.

"A guinea pig narrates Hurwitz's endearing story of the furry fellow's adventures in New York's Central Park. Nine-year-old Robbie, though disappointed when his uncle gives him a guinea pig rather than a puppy for his birthday ("I ran around inside my cage, trying to act like a puppy," says the narrator), soon grows fond of PeeWee. Not so his skittish mother who, one day while Robbie is at a sleepover, instructs her husband to set the critter loose in Central Park. PeeWee is at loose ends in this alien environment, but his new pal, Lexi the squirrel, passes on survival strategies (e.g., "Don't count your nuts until they are shelled"). PeeWee responds in kind by using his unorthodox skill: he learned to read from his mother, who lived in a cage in a schoolroom, and warns Lexi about the city's plan to cut down the tree that Lexi calls home. Through PeeWee's perspective, Hurwitz delivers some humorous and insightful observations about the urban outdoors and brings the tale to a satisfying resolution. Brewster's engaging black-and-white spot art will draw readers into this story, and the smaller-than-average trim size complements its diminutive star." --Publishers Weekly

PeeWee, a small guinea pig, is born in Casey's Pet Shop, along with his four siblings, where his Mother takes care of them all. As they begin to grow, PeeWee becomes interested in the scraps of newspaper lining his cage, and soon his Mother is teaching him how to read, as she used to be the class pet in an elementary school, and learned alongside all of the children. Before long, PeeWee is adopted by a nice man, who brings him home as a birthday present for his nephew. Things are good for a while, until the boy goes away, and somehow PeeWee finds himself all alone in New York City's Central Park. Lucky for him, he meets up with Lexi, a very street-wise squirrel, who takes Pee-Wee under his tail, and begins showing him the ropes of living in the wild. Soon PeeWee is torn between searching for his owner, and his nice safe cage, or staying in the depths of Central Park, where he has to fend for his life.

Being someone who has loved guinea pigs all of her life, and has owned many in the past (all have sadly passed away), I couldn't resist picking up PEEWEE'S TALE at the bookstore. The cover alone sold me, but the plot of the story made me even more eager to purchase the book. Johanna Hurwitz has created a fantastic story completely narrated and explained by a group of adorable animals, namely PeeWee, much in the same fashion of Betty Boegehold (Here's Pippa!). The art, by Patience Brewster, is amazing, and resembles the animals so closely that you actually feel that you are looking at a photograph. Children of all ages, along with their parents, will love reading about PeeWee's adventures, and looking at the beautiful drawings that accompany them.

Erika Sorocco

"A charming chapter book for newly independant readers. Your average guinea pig would be ill-equipped for the rigors of life in New York City's Central Park, but PeeWee is far from average. He has learned to read from the newspaper scraps on the bottom of his cage. That talent alone isn't enough to protect him from the myriad perils of the park, but fortunately PeeWee also befriends a squirrel who teaches him how to watch his back. The story is loaded with simple, generally nonintrusive messages about the values of friendship, freedom, and reading. PeeWee is an appealing protagonist, intelligent and resourceful and brave when it really counts. The park's animal inhabitants always act in character for their various species as they scratch, scamper, and dig their way around their leafy urban home." --School Library Journal

My kindergartener loves this series. I agree that the idea of an animal being left in the park is a difficult one, but we discussed why we would never do this to our pet, and how dangerous it would be for him, and then moved on and enjoyed a wonderful story with great messages and wonderful opportunites to discuss the perspective of others. My professional expertise is in cognitive development, and this book provides valuable opportunities for children to think about others' perspectives and think about the larger world around them. It is a book that can be enjoyed by both parents and children. I'd highly recommend it.

My favorite character in this book is Pee Wee because I like hamsters. Pee Wee does not remind me of anybody I know. My favorite part is when Pee Wee starts to get the hang of living in wild life. I would recommend this book to my friend Lucy because she likes cute stuff. I like the happy parts of the book. If Pee Wee were a person and he went to my school I would be friends with him if he were nice, but not if he were not nice.

I read this book in 2 days... just now finished. It was an excellent book that I don't regret reading. In fact, it was not boring at all and it provides some very good lessons for young readers in life. I'd recommend it to any parent to read to their child, or a child seeking a good small (not to many pages) book.

My son learned to read using Johanna Hurwitz's marvelous Russell/Riverside Kids series, and so we were very excited to begin Pee Wee's Tale. We were not disappointed! The animal story is a nice diversion from Hurwitz's more realistic fiction, but still has all of her markings as an author: humor, empathy and strong characterization. Yes, my son was concerned about the guinea pig's plight, and yes, the release of the guinea pig into the park raised an eyebrow...but it also incited some wonderful discussion about caring for pets and how animals adapt in the wild. Besides being an exciting and provocative chapter book for emergent readers, I think this would make a great classroom read-aloud, and I am giving it as a gift to my son's teacher! Also, don't miss Lexi's Tale, the sequel from a squirrely point of view!

"Share this with me. You'll like it. It's very sweet." are the last three sentences of this lovely chapter book for young readers, and I hope that many children and their parents will do just that.

It's a story of friendship between a naive housepet and a street-wise Central Park(New York City) rodent, exceptionally well written, with fun forays into poetry and sayings. Who could resist a squirrel with the philosophy, "a nut in the jaw is worth two in the paw?"

Add this to the CHARLOTTE'S WEB type of books children of all ages take into their hearts and share it with a child you love soon.

"A charming chapter book for newly independant readers. Your average guinea pig would be ill-equipped for the rigors of life in New York City's Central Park, but PeeWee is far from average. He has learned to read from the newspaper scraps on the bottom of his cage. That talent alone isn't enough to protect him from the myriad perils of the park, but fortunately PeeWee also befriends a squirrel who teaches him how to watch his back. The story is loaded with simple, generally nonintrusive messages about the values of friendship, freedom, and reading. PeeWee is an appealing protagonist, intelligent and resourceful and brave when it really counts. The park's animal inhabitants always act in character for their various species as they scratch, scamper, and dig their way around their leafy urban home." --School Library Journal