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Parents' Guide to

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series

By Jan Carr, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Woman finds silly cures for bad behavior in whimsical tales.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 5+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 6+

Disrespectful of children’s feelings

The original version of this series is impossible to read without a discussion of the validity of children’s feelings and experiences and the cruelty of name calling especially when the name calling comes from insensitive parents and other authority figures. The formula of each chapter supposes that a defective child be fixed by magic, a premise I find belittling and problematic in light of the current atmosphere of depression and anxiety among the young. We need to tell our children that we hear their experiences, not dismiss them.
age 5+

Good but can encourage people to be disobedient

Great to read for five and up

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (1 ):

These classic books written mid-20th century have an old-fashioned charm and infectious silliness that will tickle the funny bone of contemporary kids. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a throwback to an earlier age when kids were free to roam their neighborhoods and hang out at the home of a woman living alone -- the wife of a dead pirate! She's a favorite because she's something of a big kid herself, never too grown-up to get down on the floor with them and play. What kids wouldn't love someone who lets them dig up her yard in search of buried treasure? The behavior "cures" found in the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series are palatable because, at heart, she loves and understands the kids, and her guidance allows kids to take their behavior to absurd and therefore very funny lengths.

Many of the characters have seriously silly names, like Mrs. Wingsproggle and Mrs. Crankminor, or highfalutin' ones like Paraphernalia and Pergola. No kid does anything too bad -- they quarrel with their siblings, refuse to pick up their toys -- so most kids will recognize themselves and have fun laughing at the book and themselves.

Book Details

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