Squash and a Squeeze [Hardcover]

Julia Donaldson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 20, 2003

"Wise old man, won't you help me, please? My house is a squash and squeeze." What can you do if your house is too small? The wise old man knows: bring in a flappy, scratchy, noisy crowd of farmyard animals. When you push them all out again, you'll be amazed at how big your house feels! This brilliantly funny story is the first ever picture book written and illustrated by the award-winning team of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, authors of The Gruffalo.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- In this traditional tale, adapted and retold in verse, a little old woman complains to a wise old man that, "My house is a squash and a squeeze," even though she is the sole resident. The thoughtful man tells her to take in, in turn, her hen, goat, pig, and finally her cow. Of course the house seems gigantic when the temporary boarders are put out. Clever caricatures of characters accentuate the humorous situation. Just a curl of a lip or the ideal placement of the dot in the white eyeball make them whimsical, pensive, dismayed, serene, or horrified. Pen-and-ink outlined with bright watercolor washes are set against a white background. It seems that light is shining through the pages. Best of all is the language; the refrain reverberates even after the story is over. Margot Zemach's It Could Always Be Worse (Farrar, 1990) and Eleanor Chroman's It Could Be Worse (Childrens, 1972; o.p.) are familiar versions of the story. Donaldson's has fewer details, but its rollicking verse makes it a charming story hour addition.
- Nancy Seiner, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

You may not think you need yet another version of the tale about someone realizing that her house is actually big enough to accommodate a whole slew of animals, after crowding them in--one by one--on the advice of a wise man (he looks as much like a vicar as a rabbi here). But this variant has two things to recommend it: Donaldson's merrily lilting text (``The little old lady cried, `Stop, I implore!/It was cramp-y for three and it's teeny for four./Even the pig in the cupboard agrees/my house is a squash and a squeeze' ''); and Scheffler's vigorously limned cartoon-style illustrations, explicating and elaborating the ludicrous events line by line. Where funds permit, a worthy addition. (Picture book. 3-8) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Pan Childrens (June 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405004762
• ISBN-13: 978-1405004763
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.3 x 11.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #991,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia Donaldson is the author of many successful books for children, including the classic THE GRUFFALO, which has won the Smarties Prize and the Blue Peter Award for the Best Book to Read Aloud. THE GRUFFALO'S CHILD was one of the biggest best-sellers of 2004 and won WHS Children's Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Julia has also written many children's plays and songs, and runs regular storytelling and drama workshops. She lives in Glasgow with her family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute little book if you have some spare cash, August 23, 2005

By 

Lin "childrens' book addict from downunder" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Squash and a Squeeze (Library Binding)

I bought this book after I saw it read and acted out on Playschool (TV show in Australia). It's a great little rythmic book to read aloud and has endearing illustrations. A little old lady decides her house is much too small for her - a wise old man helps her to solve her problem by suggesting she move all her animals in to live with her (one by one). Of course, by the end of the story, the house is very squashy so she moves all the animals out and realises that her house is not that small after all! Good little tale for teaching children to appreciate what they have. Nothing too deep and meaningful, just a sweet little story. Not a must have but worth buying for your library if you have spare cash and already own some of the really special books out there.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of my toddler's favourites, May 29, 2011

By 

L. Doyle "seeker of all things wonderful for ... (Cape Town, South Africa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Squash and a Squeeze (Board book)

We got this as a gift. It's a really cute book, with fun illustrations and a nice message too. This was the first 'longer' book my daughter wanted to listen to over and over at about 13 months. She is now 17 months and she still chooses to have us read it to her daily. My husband doesn't seem to get too tired of reading it. Will definitely be getting more books from these authors as my daughter seems to appreciate the humour.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for a toddler, June 9, 2005

By 

Hope-to-help (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Squash and a Squeeze (Library Binding)

I bought this a couple of weeks ago for my 19-month old daughter and she loved it right away. She chimes in now with the key phrases that are repeated throughout the book like "a curious plan" and "my house is a squash and a squeeze"! (She obviously understands the latter phrase more than the former! I give her 'squash' and 'squeeze' hugs when we get to those phrases.) The rhymes are great and there's certainly a song-like rhythm. You don't need great story-telling skills for this one. It sounds great just being read aloud. Not one that a child or adult reading to the child will tire of easily I think.