Customer Reviews

The Story of Mr. Pippin

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"A baby raccoon is orphaned and finds himself adopted by a gracious young lady. Enjoy the adventure of watching this mischievous little fellow meet and make new friends and grow up during one special summer. All 5 (13 months-11yrs) of my children enjoy this book. Once again Johannah has created a book that is a treasure as well as a joy to read aloud. The story is told in the form of a tender recollection of a special summer. I cannot say enough about the illustrations. Warmth and the sense of tender memories are conveyed on every page. The paintings are detailed with such depth and richness. It is a real treat for nature study, for it is filled with flora and fauna that children and parents will love to admire and identify. "

I couldn't wait to receive The Story of Mr. Pippin in the mail. I have had a small taste of Johannah Bluedorn's beautiful illustrations from another book I already had. I anticipated that this children's picture book would be appealing to read and look at. I was not disappointed. I read it to my children and we were all delighted by the story as well as the beautiful illustrations. Johannah is a gifted artist. Her pictures are sweet and innocent and so full of detail that it takes one several times looking at them to take it all in. My children enjoyed the story of the baby raccoon rescued and taken in by Johannah's family . She tells of how this raccoon grows up and gets into mischief. Johannah draws the reader in by asking questions and we enjoyed discussing the possible answers to them. The story ends as Mr. Pippin is ready to leave the family home and survive on his own. We are left wondering what adventures Mr. Pippin would have next. My children especially enjoyed seeing photos at the end of the book showing the real Mr. Pippin. Lucky for us just several days later we were able to see a real raccoon in a neighbor's yard and we wondered at the mischief of this raccoon. If you want a sweet story with beautiful pictures I highly recommend The Story of Mr. Pippin. What a great gift idea for a small child!

Mr. Pippin, an orphaned raccoon, is adopted by Ava and spends the summer with this young lady and her family. Mr. Pippin grows up from a tiny bottle-fed baby to a curious, jelly bean-loving raccoon. Along the way, Mr. Pippin meets Cashmire the parrot, Dulce the cow and Rosie the dog. We watch as Mr. Pippin discovers the flower garden, climbs a cherry tree and explores the house and grounds of Ava's family. Finally, Mr. Pippin is old enough to make his home in the woods near Ava's house.

These 32 pages of full color pictures with simple text are sure to delight children of all ages. This is a good read-aloud. My girls all loved it (ages 4, 5 and 8), and I enjoyed reading it to them. The illustrations are all charming watercolors done with beautiful attention to detail. The last page gives 4 color photographs of the real Mr. Pippin as a baby (being held by the author) and as a slightly older raccoon (being held by his adopted mother, Ava). This book, a true story, will appeal to a broad range of people, especially animal lovers (Mr. Pippin also encounters skunks, a turtle and another raccoon). This medium sized picture book has a sewn binding and pictorial boards (no dust jacket).

Review by David Rainey, MLIS (published in Christian Library Journal)

This story, illustrated once again with Johannah's lovely paintings kept my children enthralled. They have caught their own wild critters in the past and so they could identify with the story of Mr. Pippin. A favorite for our family library created by Johannah once again!

Just like the rascally raccoon he is, Mr. Pippin is such a little character learning about life and being a raccoon. Johannah Bluedorn has once again done a superb job of illustration.

This delightful book shares the true story of Mr. Pippin, a raccoon raised by the Bluedorn family, and his adventures while in their care. Exquisite pictures detail each experience as the author shares of her summer with the mischevious raccoon and his subsequent return to the wilderness. This sweetly simple book brought both a smile and a tear as I traveled it's pages. Truly, this book will be a favorite with adults and children alike.