Those Messy Hempels [Hardcover]

Brigitte Luciani (Author), Vanessa Hie (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Not since the Stupids has there been such a ditzy yet delightful picture book family as the Hempels. At the Hempels' house clutter and cheerful chaos prevail. Usually, the Hempels don't mind the mess, but one day when they decide to bake a cake they can't find the whisk amid the clutter. So the Hempels decide to clean up. Before long the kitchen is as neat as a pin, but they still can't find the whisk. They do find a pillow, but the pillow belongs in the bedroom. Off go the Hempels to the bedroom. The hunt for the whisk -- and a series of misplaced objects -- leads the zany Hempels on a hilarious cleaning spree.
Children will happily join the spirited search party and will delight in guessing just where all those misplaced objects belong.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Dancing in the footsteps of Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (HarperCollins, 1985), this energetic picture book introduces the disastrously untidy, happy-go-lucky Hempels. They want to bake a cake, but can't find the whisk. While straightening up the kitchen, they discover a pillow, which leads them to the bedroom. Cleaning up the bedroom yields a toothbrush, which of course belongs in the bathroom… and so it goes, until the whisk is located in the children's room and the happy Hempels return to their newly clean kitchen to make a cake–and another mess. Luciani's text, full of questions and sound effects, begs to be read aloud, and kids will delight in predicting what comes next. Hié's angular illustrations, though a bit dark in their color palette, capture the sense of barely controlled chaos that rules these characters by showing them in constant motion. This lighthearted tale makes a fun choice for storytime.–Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia
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About the Author

Brigitte Luciani was born in Hannover, Germany, and now lives in France with her husband and three young daughters.

Vanessa Hie was born and grew up in France and now lives in Paris with her husband, son, and cat. She has illustrated numerous books published in France.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: North-South Books Inc. (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735819092
• ISBN-13: 978-0735819092
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,439,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Those Messy Hempels real winners, December 1, 2008

By 

Terry M. Hayes "Terry M" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Those Messy Hempels (Hardcover)

The Hempels live a very messy house and when they wish to bake a cake they cannot find the whisk. (My two-year old grandson loved repeating the line- 'No Whisk! No Cake!') The Hempels must clean every room in the house and in each room they find an inappropriate object A teddy bear in the bathroom!? NO. " a teddy bear does not live in the bathroom but in ............ Small children love anticipating, and saying aloud the next line. Finally, the Hempels find the whisk and make a delicious cake And a big mess. The joy in this book lies in its reiteration and the wonderful illustrations of very messy rooms. A joy.