Parents' Guide to

Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure

By Jan Carr, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Reboot of classic series preserves original's charm.

Book Ann M. Martin, Annie Parnell Fantasy 2016
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 4+

Based on 1 parent review

Jen B.
Jen B. Parent
August 6, 2018
age 4+
my 4 year old enjoyed this as a read aloud
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In MISSY PIGGLE-WIGGLE AND THE WHATEVER CURE, Missy Piggle-Wiggle is summoned by her great-aunt, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, to tend the house and pets while the aunt goes in search of her pirate husband. Missy, who's magic, unlocks a cabinet of potions she made when she was growing up and puts them to use helping the neighborhood kids with their behavior. She comes up with "cures" for mild behavior problems such as being tardy, saying "Whatever," and smacking gum. The cures are offbeat. The tardy girl gets a watch with a deafening alarm, and the gum smacker gets a gumball that tastes like a dirty sponge. Before the story's over, Missy even helps some workaholic parents check their own dysfunctional behavior.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

Readers are in excellent hands with this redo of a classic series that updates the books for a new generation while preserving the charm, humor, and warmth of the originals. Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure author Ann M. Martin brings to the project her expertise with series (The Baby-Sitters Club) as well as a deft literary touch. The new book's magical, full of the sort of potions that will excite Harry Potter readers, and it's told in prose so charming and inviting that kids won't care that the stories make fun of their annoying behaviors. The very silly names like Beaufort Crumpet and Edison Tickle clue readers in they're meant to laugh at themselves.

There's also a sweet bit of romance. When the touchingly awkward bookstore owner, Harold Spectacle, meets Missy, "A shower of sparks glittered briefly in the air and sputtered out." Readers may feel the same magic sparks when introduced to Missy and this delightful new addition to the series.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure compares with the books in the original Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series. Have you read any of the originals? How's this book similar? How's it different?

  • Do you have any of the behaviors that get cured in the book? Do they bother you or affect your friends or family? Have you ever tried to change them?

  • What do you think about Missy helping grown-ups with their behavior, too? What behavior problems do you notice among grown-ups?

Book Details

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