Toot & Puddle: You Are My Sunshine [Paperback]

Holly Hobbie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2001

Sold as a sex-slave for $1 million, Belladonna endures years of abuse at the hands of an anonymous English aristocrat and his peers. She escapes with her daughter and two servants and they settle in New York, opening a decadent nightclub, in the hope of luring those who abused her.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Good news for Toot and Puddle fans-the whimsical pigs are back. This time, Toot is feeling blue, and Puddle and Tulip try to cheer him up. Nothing seems to work-not making Toot's favorite five-berry cobbler, not river rafting, not even inviting everyone from Woodcock Pocket over for games and a sing-along. All Toot can do is mope, mope, mope. A summer storm comes up, scaring everyone except for Toot, who is back to his old bouncy self by morning. "Sometimes you need a big whopping thunderstorm to clear the air," says Puddle. But Toot secretly credits his pals for his fresh outlook. The message is clear-friends have to stick by one another when they're down. The cartoon illustrations are right on target in portraying the gist of the story and the characters' emotions, from the initial downcast, self-critical Toot to the carefree, puddle-skipping piglet at the end. Uplifting as a lap book when a youngster is feeling down or paired with Hiawyn Oram's Badger's Bad Mood (Scholastic, 1998), another tale of moodiness and friendship.
Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

Hobbie (Toot & Puddle, 1997, etc.) brings back her winsome swine for a sympathetic look at the blues. Puddle is concerned about his good friend, Toot, who has a severe case of the doldrums. While recognizing that ``everybody mopes sometimes,'' Puddle still wants to cheer up his buddy, attempting everything from five-berry cobbler to a wild boat ride down the rapids. Yet even an impromptu party with their friends fails to elicit any excitement from the melancholy pig. Only the passing of time and a raging thunderstorm finally alter Toot's dolorous mood. Hobbie deftly explores the neglected subject of sorrow, making clear to children that it's okay to be downcast for no discernible reason. Although Puddle's well-intentioned efforts are seemingly unsuccessful, what does succeed is that Puddle is perfectly in tune with his friend, convincing Toot and readers that they are not alone and that they will be loved even when they are not ``up.'' Gentle watercolors add a light touch to Toot's malaise without compromising the compassion found in this graceful treatment of a delicate issue. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown (January 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316643971
• ISBN-13: 978-0316643979
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,181,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Holly Hobbie has worked as an artist for more than thirty years and is the author of seven previous and highly acclaimed Toot & Puddle picture books, as well as an illustrated memoir, The Art of Holly Hobbie. The mother of grown children, she lives with her husband in Conway, Massachusetts

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A simple reminder that we don't always have to be happy, November 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: You Are My Sunshine (Toot & Puddle) (Hardcover)

The Toot and Puddle series by Holly Hobbie is a sweet (without being saccharine) and charming series about a pair of pigs who are best friends. There are subtle "morals" woven into each book; they fall under the general theme of "everybody is different it's worth trying to understand those differences". In this book, Toot is sad - he can't explain why. He sits and mopes. His friend, Puddle, tries to cheer him up. Toot recognizes this (and even seems to appreciate it), but it does not cheer him up.

Finally, there is a gentle "surprise" ending that made me happy - because I am one of those people who loves "terrible weather"

This is a good book for kids - as a reminder that sometimes people just get sad for a while and can't explain it. It's also a good "gift" book for sensitive adults who appreciate such things. The story is deep enough to speak to adults, I think

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Toot & Puddle together again!, December 21, 1999

By 

Chess Heart "paxbear" (Canton, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: You Are My Sunshine (Toot & Puddle) (Hardcover)

Toot & Puddle are perfect porcine pals who, in their delicate way, teach us all that sometimes we're just out of alignment and that's OK.

On a beautiful, sun-shining morning in Woodcock Pocket, Puddle was out catching butterflies. The sun was shining, birds singing, flowers blooming and... Well, in the house, Toot was moping.

Like anyone who's ever had an off day, Toot can't quite explain what's the matter, nor does he particularly *feel* like explaining. SOMETHING'S clearly the matter, Puddle and Tulip the parrot can see that, because nothing seems to cheer him up--not the blue sky, not the clean air, not even "five-berry cobbler with heaps of whipped cream..." Well, the cobbler HELPS a bit, but the next day Toot comes shuffling across the yard, hands stuffed in pockets, floppy hat with equally floppy ears sticking out, half-heartedly kicking some stones.

His friends try to cheer him up. An adventure seems in order, but white water rafting proves to be not quite the right medicine for melancholy. Similarly, a picnic with friends and a game of hide-&-seek is fun for everyone except for Toot, who isn't in the mood to be "it". In short, nothing works and Puddle and Tulip are getting concerned, when a thunderous storm hits.

Toot, who is the only one who is NOT afraid, is out braving the storm in his yellow rain slicker on a beautiful 2-page illustration that itself makes the book worth reading. Lo', the next morning, a happy, smiling Toot comes marching through the puddles towards his friends who, lying in the grass, conclude that "sometimes you need a big whopping thunderstorm to clear the air."

While "You are My Sunshine" doesn't have quite the flow or action of "A Present for Toot", it is an immensely enjoyable book (I personally recommend collecting all three of Ms. Hobbie's works, and any more books to come). The pen & ink illustrations are astounding, and capture the feel of the character moods instantly. The blue sky, Puddle's exuberant jump with a butterfly net, frame his joy at simply being ALIVE on a wonderful day as much as the muted golds & yellows of Toot's room captures his moping, tired affect perfectly. ANYONE who's felt a little off-a little blue or down in the dumps-even on a beautiful day will deeply appreciate this book and it's final message that friends always care for friends, even when they're feelin' down.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uplifting - a Beautiful Book, May 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: You Are My Sunshine (Toot & Puddle) (Hardcover)

This was the first Toot and Puddle we ever saw, and it's still our favorite. The message(s) is (are) important - and all too rare in children's books - that we aren't all cheerful and happy all the time, and that's OK, that we all need the steady faith and support of dear friends, that STORMY weather isn't necessarily "bad" weather and can be renewing. We adore Toot and Puddle and Holly Hobbie's art, which I would happily display in my living room if I could find some prints from the world of Toot and Puddle.