The Purse [Paperback]

Kathy Caple (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

After spending her money on a purse, Katie is now faced with the problem of getting some money to put into it.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Caple, who brought young readers The Biggest Nose, now introduces Katie. Katie loves the noise her Band-Aid box full of coins makes when she rattles it. But when her older sister Marcia insists that big girls have purses, Katie uses her money to buy one. She finds, however, that an empty purse is less satisfying than a Band-Aid box full of coins; she spends the rest of this story ingeniously resolving her problem. The Purse has a number of homely virtues. It introduces the uses and value of money in a gently instructive fashion. And it presents an average family in a warm domestic atmosphere. As she gardens with her mama and shops for groceries with her papa, Katie is reaping the rewards of being part of a caring family. The text is simple; the expressions on Katie's face document her earnest pursuit of a solution, from worried knit eyebrows to that last wide smile.
Copyright 1986 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 Caple's homey watercolor illustrations are the strength of The Purse . As with her earlier The Biggest Nose (Houghton, 1985) , she uses minimal features to capture completely the varying moods of her characters, especially those of her willful protagonist. Katie's older sister Marcia convinces her that keeping her money in a Band-Aid box is babyish and that she ought to have a grown-up purse. Katie spends all her money to buy a purse, only to face the frustration of having nothing left to put in it. By doing chores for her mother, father, and sister, she manages to have both her new grown-up look and the comforting ``clinkity-clinkity-clinkity'' noises of her Band-Aid box. Caple's story is predictable, and the action is minimal. However, Katie's determined nature as she works to get just what she wants gives the tale a strength of character that will appeal to young children. Although not a ``must'' purchase, The Purse follows in the footsteps of Udry's What Mary Jo Shared (Whitman, 1966) as a pleasant introduction to the idea of creative problem-solving. Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, The Wheeler School, Providence, R.I.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395629810
• ISBN-13: 978-0395629819
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,526 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for girls!, February 10, 2008

By 

cambridge reader "cambridgearea" (cambridge, ma United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Purse (Paperback)

I love this book. A resourceful little girl saves money, spends money, and earns money. Includes an early lesson in buyer's remorse! (Without being preachy or overbearing.) Plenty of pictures to break up the text on each page. There is repetition throughout which appeals to the toddler listener. I also like that it's the dad in this book who goes grocery shopping and the mom who works in the yard. The whole family feels very real.