Jonathan Cleaned Up — Then He Heard a Sound: Or Blackberry Subway Jam

by Robert Munsch, Michael Martchenko (Illustrator)

A subway stops in Jonathan’s apartment, and out pour thousands of commuters and their litter.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Canada, Fiction, Humor, Juvenile, 1st Grade

32 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1981

About the author

Robert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Fordham University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and from Boston University in 1971 with a Master of Arts degree in anthropology.

He studied to become a Jesuit priest, but decided he would rather work with children after jobs at orphanages and daycare centers. In 1973, he received a Master of Education in Child Studies from Tufts University. In 1975 he moved to Canada to work at the preschool at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. He also taught in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Guelph as a lecturer and as an assistant professor. In Guelph he was encouraged to publish the many stories he made up for the children he worked with.

Munsch's wife delivered two stillborn babies in 1979 and 1980. Out of the tragedy, he produced one of his best-known books, Love You Forever. This book was listed fourth on the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Best selling Children's Books list for paperbacks at 6,970,000 copies (not including the 1,049,000 hardcover copies). The Munsches have since become adoptive parents of Julie, Andrew and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!)

Munsch has obsessive-compulsive disorder and has also suffered from manic depression. In August 2008, Munsch suffered a stroke that affected his ability to speak in normal sentences. He has recovered enough that he is able to perform live, but has put his writing career on hold until he is fully recovered.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Jonathan's mother pops out to the shop for a can of noodles, she tells him not to make a mess. But then a subway stop just opens up in his apartment wall, and chaos ensures. At first Jonathan's mother doesn't believe him, but then she witnesses the phenomenon herself. Seeking answers at City Hall, Jonathan is told by the mayor that everything is controlled by the computer, and that there is nothing to be done. Then he discovers who controls the computer, fetches him some jam, and gets the problem solved. At least, for him...

Originally published in 1981, this entertaining picture-book from Canadian author/illustrator team Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko has that surreal sense of humor I have come to associate with their work. The matter-of-fact madness of the hi-jinks here contrasts nicely with Jonathan's civic-minded response, as he heads to City Hall for an answer. The subway commuters here look a little dated - very 80s in their appearance - but otherwise this one holds up quite well, especially with that hilarious ending, in which Jonathan convinces the computer man to switch the subway stop to the Mayor's office! Recommended to Munsch/Martchenko fans, and to anyone looking for picture-books with a somewhat oddball sense of humor.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this book from when I was a kid, all the way back in the 1980s. Unfortunately, though the basic premise is pretty amusing, the story is dated. Very dated.

Jonathan's mother goes out to buy a can of noodles. She tells her son not to make a mess. But no sooner has she left than Jonathan hears a noise coming from the other side of the wall. He listens carefully... and then the wall opens up and a rather homogeneous group of white people pour into the room as if it's a subway station! It makes an incredible mess. Jonathan's mother comes home, sees the mess, tells her son to clean it up, and then goes out to buy another can of noodles (yeah, I know... just go with it). Another train full of passengers drops off its load in the living room, and makes an even bigger mess. Eventually, Jonathan gets annoyed and tells the conductor that his house is not a subway station. The conductor tells him it must be, since the subway stops there. So Jonathan heads to City Hall to try to fix the problem.

The mayor gives Jonathan the same answer as the conductor, and adds that the computer says his house is a subway station. So Jonathan goes in search of the computer. It turns out to be a huge, room-hogging machine full of reel-to-reel tapes that makes a whole bunch of noise. Not that it works, anyway; despite paying $10 million for it, it doesn't work at all. (Shades of the Phoenix pay system right there... Maybe that part of the story isn't so dated after all!)

Of course everything gets sorted out, and there's a cute twist at the end. But I'm not sure if this book holds up as well as some of the other Munsch/Martchenko titles from the 1980s. The ancient computer is going to look completely foreign to kids, and the lack of diversity in the subway riders is kind of confusing (it's not like there were no minorities in major cities in the 1980s). The overall story is amusing, though, and if you can overlook the dated elements of the book and read it as a relic from a not-too-distant past, you might enjoy it.

Quotable moment:

[Chance Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing everyone has to admit is that Munsch has a rare amount of imagination. As for the title it's probably the strangest one I've ever seen. The art is great, not my favorite but it's great. The story is odd, I mean really odd but it is creative and enjoyable.
There is some interesting things, in the story seems to poke fun at government and it's ability to function.
Did anyone notice those at city hall had lunch for three hours and that they spent millions of dollars on a broken system. (There is something deeper here than I am noticing at the moment.)

I liked the tiny details on the page Jonathan is in front of city hall. Adding a wall breaking smile to one driver at the bottom of the page and the small details of pedestrians on the city buss are just awesome. I really like the city picture over the mayor's head in his office. It's shouting to me likes it's an actual location but I just can't place it.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a typical silly Robert Munsch story. The title though. Come on Robert Munsch! It sounds like one my students would make up and then my response would be, "Well, let's shorten it up a bit."

Then again, who am I to criticize Robert Munsch?!

These days, during the pandemic and election woes, the story touched a nerve with complaining to the mayor and then finding out that he doesn't know a thing, the computer isn't working and there's one long person running the whole show behind the scenes. In the end, when the train stop moves to the mayor's office, that seemed like just deserts.

I didn't really have much of a curriculum connection to this one. It was just fun, which seemed right on our first day back to learning after winter break....only this week are doing it online! Thank you pandemic.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan's mother leaves and asks him to try not to make a mess. Jonathan is doing a good job of not making a mess, but the people who come out of the subway stop that suddenly opens in his house aren't. How can Jonathan clean up the mess if people keep pouring through his house and leaving destruction in their wake?

A fantastical and imaginative story about a boy who is a part of a solution instead of becoming part of the problem. He's a great example for kids. Is the mess his fault? Nope. Is anyone else doing something to fix it? Nope. So Jonathan does. It wasn't his responsibility or his fault, but he finds a way to make things better. Kids will like the ridiculousness of the tale. Adults should like the message and the model Jonathan provides. Highly recommended.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when a boy told to clean up the house, suddenly has a subway open up in his living room?

At first I thought this book was just going to be silly Munsch antics- a story inspired by someone saying "This isn't a subway station, it's my house." But actually, this could be used as a story to highlight the power of action in government, as Jonathan tracks down those responsible in city hall, in order to make a change. It also pokes a little fun at bureaucracy and the ineffectiveness of government positions; also at junky technology.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let your kid know that the earlier powerful machine computers were huge and muchly mechanical and they'll be fine. This is a satire for all ages, one of the better Munsch I've read actually.

And I've read a lot, as I'm enjoying them all in The Munschworks Grand Treasury.

[Enikő · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gotta love Munsch!

This is a great story about a little boy who solves a big problem through smart thinking and a bit of luck.

My favourite quote:

The conductor said, ''If the subway stops here, then it's a subway station! You shouldn't build your house in a subway station. If you don't like it, go see City Hall.''

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day Jonathan's mother went to the store and left Jonathan to tidy up in their apartment. He heard a sound, the wall slid open, a subway train stopped, and people rushed out into his living-room! He had to find a way to make it stop happening. Funny story.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think that the book is dated because it describes how bureaucracies actually work. Jonathan is a modern hero. He doesn’t quit and he doesn’t have to defeat the bureaucracy - he only has to figure out how it works.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is weird and will probably confuse kids, but the room-filling giant computer was a nice blast from the past from before I was even born. I enjoyed this as a history major, even though I won't be reading it for my messy-themed storytime.

[Veeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny book about distraction. nice illustrations.

[paige turner ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Jonathan Cleaned Up--Then He Heard a Sound: Or Blackberry Subway Jam" is one silly book with a mouthful of a title.

It's entertaining and fun, but it's not my favourite book by Robert Munsch.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Munsch-Martchenko -- an inside look at city politics ;-)

[Joy Keil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not guess where this one was going!
There's a reason we enjoy these classic Munsch books. Kids thought it was funny.

[Cyndy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this Munsch story. I wish they had been around when I was little!

[Lucy Takeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread. This is one of my favorite Munsch tales. What a lark! An apartment is turned into a subway stop!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

We listened to the narrated Kindle version which had all of the sounds of a subway station that made it fun.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite of this collection as a child. The girls loved others more, but did find this one a bit funny.

[Valérie Bleue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mes enfants ont adoré cette histoire! On l'a lu plusieurs fois!

[Zoey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and silly story of a subway station in a house and the chaos that follows. This story feels like a dream that would happen. Fun read.

[KhiN’Millie Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

O my goodness the people all came in and made a big mess. That was crazy! -Khi 3

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absurd plot that only a child could fix, but full of bureaucratic commentary along the way

[Child960801 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a little dated because there is a computer the size of a wall. Jonathan's apartment turns into a subway station.

[Abraham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book for its imagination and its poking fun at authority. I guess I was such a goody two shoes growing up that now every time I see evidence of children's disdain for authority -- real or fictional -- it makes me smile with both tooth and eye.

[Elizabeth Dragina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ~

My brother's book. We used to listen to it on CD all the time. . . we would always die in laughter. Such sweet memories.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 Update:
I read this one to a third grade class today, and they enjoyed parts of it, but found the whole story extremely strange, especially the old-timey computers, and the weird little man at city hall who takes blackberry jam bribes. They started off excited and finished with mixed reactions.

I could probably polish my telling of it, but honestly I just think it's paced poorly, and is a bit too long. I still loved it as a kid, so I'm keeping my old rating. But for modern day read-alouds I'd say a 2.5/3 rating, if you can really sell a Munsch story.

Original Review from my Childhood Recollections:
A very weird Robert Munsch story, but always one of my childhood favourites. I loved the idea of a subway opening up inside a kids house and messing everything up. In hindsight, city hall slavishly obeying a computer, rather than considering how their city planning impacts real people is surprisingly political.

[Diana Judd]

This is a book about Jonathan, who has a subway station in his house. Because the station is causing quite a mess in his house, he decides to go try to get the station moved somewhere else. After the mayor ignores him, Jonathan goes and talks to the man that is doing all the work for the computer. I thought this was a cute little story about a boy taking initiative and trying to help out his mom. I also liked that it was repetitive, but something would be added on with each new repetition. However, the boy in the end gets revenge instead of helping out the people around him. That doesn't really strike me as something we should be teaching kids that it's okay or even encouraged to seek revenge on the people that won't help us. I found it a little reprehensible, but other than that it was a decent book.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has all the classic Munsch traits - an exceedingly improbable situation (subways keep opening up into Jonathan's apartment, making progressively greater and greater messes), useless adults (his mother blames HIM for the impossible mess, and at city hall he's told the routes can't be changed), and a silly solution (he bribes the man who makes the maps to move the station to the mayor's office. LOL!)

It's great. Silly, fun, over-the-top, and no pretense at a moral. Plus, bonus - trains! If you're a fan of Munsch, you know you want this.

[FM Family · Rating 5 out of 5]

My two and a half year old is hooked on this book right now, and I loved it as a kid myself. Just that classic Munsch absurdity. Lots of repetition as there are in most of his books, and many kids books of the 80s. But she finds it so funny, and I (as a public servant especially) find his dig at City Hall at the end (where everyone runs out for lunch and is gone for the next 3 hours) so random but also hilarious. I love this one.