All In One Piece by Jill Murphy

The Large Family #2

by Jill Murphy

Mr and Mrs Large are getting ready for the office dinner-dance. But with Lester, Laura, Luke and the baby around, they'll be lucky to get out of the house all in one piece!Please ask if you need a specific version. The data provided here may not be correct. With buying and not asking you are accepting the book as is.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Family, Manga, Fantasy

24 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 1987

About the author

Jill Murphy was a London-born English children's author, best known for The Worst Witch series and the Large Family picture books. She has been described as "one of the most engaging writers and illustrators for children in the land."

Jill Murphy was born in London and attended the Ursuline Convent in Wimbledon which, together with the boarding school stories she enjoyed reading, provided much of the material and inspiration Miss Cackle's Academy in the The Worst Witch, which she started when she was 15. She put the book on hold as she attended both Chelsea and Croydon Art Schools, but continued to write it whilst living in a village in Togo, West Africa for a year and then whilst working as a nanny back at home. The book was published when Jill turned 24 and proved an instant success. However, Jill continued working as a nanny until the publication of The Worst Witch Strikes Again prompted her to devote herself to full-time writing. The Worst Witch stories have become some of the most outstandingly successful titles on the Young Puffin paperback list and have sold more than 3 million copies. They were also made into a major ITV series. She was also well known for her picture books and was commended in the 1980 Kate Greenaway Medal for Peace at Last. A Quiet Night In was shortlisted for the same medal in 1994. She was perhaps best known for the very popular Mr and Mrs Large picture books, which detail the domestic chaos of an elephant family. Five Minute's Peace won the 1987 Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies Award, as well as being shortlisted for the 1986 Children's Book Award. All in One Piece was highly commended for the 1987 Kate Greenaway Award and shortlisted for the 1987 Children's Book Award. The Last Noo-noo won the 0-5 category of the 1995 Smarties Book Prize and in the same year was shortlisted for the English 4-11 Outstanding Children's Book of the Year, going on to win the 1996 Sheffield Children's Book Award. It won the 1996 Gateshead Gold Award. In the same year it was adapted as a play and performed at the Polka Theatre, London.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All In One Piece – Jill Murphy

All In One Piece is a delightful book from an enjoyable series by Jill Murphy that presents a family of elephants, the Large family in normal family situations. I enjoyed the tales of the Large family when I was young and believe they can still be enjoyed by children today. All In One Piece tells the tale of Mr and Mrs Large as they prepare to go out to the office “dinner- dance”. Mr and Mrs Large have three lively young children who all want to help and join in with their parents as they get reading for their evening out, needless to say, their assistance is not welcomed by their parents. The children are touching and playing with everything that they shouldnt be, such as make-up, shaving foam, tights and paints, Grandma has to take control to stop them making a complete mess. At the end of the book the illustration shows how mother Large has unknowingly sat in a paint box and stained her dress, I think this further endears the characters to the reader.

I think that this text is most suited to a young, early reader, it is suitable for both independent reading and guided reading. For independent reading it is suitable for age five onwards, however I believe that it can be enjoyed by younger children if the text is read to them. The illustrations are colourful and informative and really contribute to the overall enjoyment of the book. The font is clear and large and easy for a young reader to follow.

The text was first published in 1987, although the narrative is still relevant, there are some words and phrases that do sound quite archaic, such as “dinner – dance”, “bathed” and “nightclothes”, I don’t think that these detract from the enjoyment or understanding of the text today.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not quite my Favourite of the Large Family series buy it's still an enjoyable read.

[Alex Carpenter · Rating 2 out of 5]

These parents are kinda horrible to/about their kids

[City of London Libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hi it’s me again. I want to tell you about a picture book I really enjoyed. This book is “All in one piece”, by Jill Murphy.

It’s about an elephant family. Mum and Dad are going out to a dinner party. One of the kids asked if they could go too, but it was late at night. When it was time for mum and dad to get dressed one of the kids went into the bathroom and said “when I grow up will I be able to shave?” (he said that because his dad was shaving)

In another room was mum. She was putting her make- up on but she never realised that the baby was with her and was using mum’s lipstick to paint his face. Mum was cross but outside the room was worse. The two older kids were seeing how many toys they could fit into mum’s new tights!

The younger one was wearing mum’s new high heels and necklace. Mum was furious and sent them all downstairs to Granny (she was there to look after the kids for the evening). When mum was ready she asked “How do I look?,” but she didn’t realise that she had….I’ll save that bit for later.

When it was time to leave, dad closed the door and mum said “All in one piece” but she didn’t realise she was taking some of the mess with her.

Thanks for reading

Maisie.

Check out Masie’s fabulous art work on Barbican & Community Library Blog.

[Isobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The large family are getting ready to go for a dinner dance but chaos happens in the house when the children want to go out and disturb the parents getting ready.

The illustrations are very simple which contributes to the basic family life.

The experiences of the world that a adult reader might have to bring to the text may be the struggles of a family life and trying to juggle children around social life. The story will be enjoyable for children because it is simple and exciting them to see the importance of parents having time to themselves.

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely little view into into family life. taking points include why mummy or daddy might be cross and if that's ok or normal?! Even though mummy gets cross, she gets her comeuppance by sitting on the paint palette!

[Dewi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Large dan Mr. Large, Ibu dan Bapak Gajah; bersiap menghadiri acara makan malam di kantor. Tentu saja anak-anak gajah berusaha membuat kericuhan. Si bayi bermain dengan kosmetik. Laura bermain dengan kalung dan sepatu hak tinggi. Lester memasukkan semua mainannya ke dalam stoking ibu. Uh oh...

[Shauna Ludlow Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can relate to Mrs. Large in these books. This time she is hoping to get out with her husband for his work dinner/dance “in one piece.” Having little ones around certainly is entertaining but can be difficult. Fun illustrations.

[Martha Baylis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The text is suitable for both independent and guided reading. The font large and therefore easy for a young reader to follow. The illustrations both informative and bright and contribute to the flow and understanding of the books story.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jill Murphy's books are timeless- I remember reading and enjoying them as a child! They explore such realistic and mature themes in an eloquent and easy to understand way. The pictures are detailed and with the text can be used as a great classroom tool to open up discussions.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every mom and dad should be able to find something of Mr and Mrs Large to relate too. It's a real thing...

[Poppy Thorpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

We liked this story and I could really empathise with Mr and Mrs Large trying to go out and get some time by themselves!

[Valerie Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling characters and an amusing story. Parents and children can relate to this tale!

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amusing little tale.

[Arwen Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choice of my 4 year old niece- lovely little story about parents going out and hardships of parents. fun and nicely illustrated

[Jade Hutchison · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter picked this book to read from her bookshelf tonight and told me she'd been reading it at school.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband's favourite to read to our daughter!

[Josh Sonii · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about two elephant parents and their four crazy children. They are trying to prepare for a dinner dance event without getting any of their clothes ruined. The children's granny is coming to take care of them while they are gone because the children are too young to attend the event. The kids seem to know that there parents are getting ready to leave but they still begin to act out. They granny also gave them paint which will make it even more difficult for them to leave without getting anything on their clothing. The kids begin to irritate the mother so she yells at them to calm them down. Will the parents escape without the children ruining there clothes or will they make it out without a scratch?

This story is a good story to read to children because it teaches them a great lesson. It helps them understand why they cannot do things that adults do. In this book it explains to the kids that there are events that are for adults only. They also tell the kids that it is too late for them to go to. This story reminded me of a few friends I had when I was little. Every time their parents had somewhere to go they seemed to act up. They would start to make a mess, the baby would start crying, or they would end up getting something on their parents clothing. The illustrations in the book were very entertaining and different. All the left pages had a white background with a few drawings on it. The second pages all had fully colored backgrounds with borders on them. The storyline of this book was simple but interesting, and I believe that it would be more appealing to girls. I feel like more of the things that the children do relate to girls like when the baby puts make-up on. Overall this is a very entertaining book for children and it is something that a lot of parents can relate to.

[Shini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a family of elephants called the Large family. Mr and Mrs Large a have an office dinner-dance to go to in the evening. Granny is coming to babysit the children. Mrs Large is trying to get ready and the baby comes in and messes around with her makeup and the other children are playing on the stairs with her new tights, cramming toys in them. Another child is fussing around Mr Large whilst he tries to shave. Mrs Larges shouts at the children and says ‘Can’t I just have one night in the whole year to myself?’ The children go downstairs to granny. Both Mr and Mrs Large appear downstairs dressed up and looking smart. Mrs Large sits down on a paint box, but doesn't realise. They both leave the house and say ‘All in one piece and not a smear of paint between us.’ However what they both don't notice is that Mrs Large has 15 little squares of brightly coloured paint on the back of her dress!

This book was read to an EYFS and year one class and they enjoyed it. The book is funny and the children related to the different things the Large children were doing. They loved at the end where Mrs Large had the paint on her dress but she didn't notice!

This book wold be good for sequencing the events, or to recreate their own story about what things they might do and say to their family at home. They could try to recreate the elephants in creative arts using different techniques. They could also use a mixture of music to set the scene and act out how the whole family was acting.

[Ayshah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book of Jill Murphy's that I absolutely enjoy is All In One Piece. The book is based on a family of elephants who take on all the characteristics and traits of any normal family. It is the office dinner-dance which Mrs Large has been looking forward to all year round and plans on going to with her husband as she deserves a well earned night. However, things do not go accordingly to plan due to her four children. The young elephants come upstairs to help Dad shave, put on mum's make up and even try on the clothes she has put out ready to wear! Mrs Large becomes rather frustrated after this as she only wished for one night to herself where she can go out all in one piece. Eventually Mr and Mrs Large are ready for the dinner dance and luckily they are able to leave "all in one piece"!

This is such as beautiful and delightful story book with lovely illustrations of the Large family. It's really nice how Jill Murphy aimed to make a story out of everyday happenings which everyone can relate to. This will also be a useful book to share with young children aged up to 5 because you can discuss why Mr and Mrs Large got annoyed with their children. This will encourage children to think about their own behaviour at home. Such a lovely book about family life and the way it has been beautifully observed with humour appealing to both adults and children.

[Jack Kirby and the X-man · Rating 2 out of 5]

The third in the Large Family series.

This book is definitely written from the parents perspective – all about trying to get away for a night out by themselves. Maybe I’m just a naive first-time parent but I feel that I’d like my son to know that I missed him when I was away – rather than this book which puts it this way:
‘”We’ve escaped,” said Mr Large with a smile, closing the front door behind them.’ – now while I certainly may think this from time-to-time is that the message I want to send to my son? Maybe when he is significantly older than he is now…

Granny is pretty brave bringing the painting equipment out after the kids have been bathed and put into their PJs!

It initially struck me that the paint marks on Mrs Large’s dress where incredibly neat, before seconds later it occurred to me that she had sat on the paint palette. A quick check of continuity shows that the colour pattern on the palette and on the dress do not match – surely it wouldn’t have taken much to match these?

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book All In One Piece, Mr. and Mrs. Large are elephants who are trying to go to a dinner ball for Mr. Large’s work. They were trying to get ready with the kids running around. They thought they made it out the door without any paint or spills, but little did they know that that it will never be able to make it out all in one piece.
This book is not very realistic because of the characters but a parent might understand it. The story line is something that is believable because it could happen to people. It was a good twist to use elephants instead of people to make the story more appealing to children. Overall this was a good book with a cute storyline.

The genre for this book is fiction. The format is picture book. The reading level is lower elementary (1-3). I would use this book to recommend to children for reading on their own. The theme in this book is family. This book would be good for any gender, race or socioeconomic status.

Murphy, J. (1987). All in one piece. New York, NY: Putnam.

[Raegan Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book All In One Piece, Mr. and Mrs. Large are elephants who are trying to go to a dinner ball for Mr. Large’s work. They were trying to get ready with the kids running around. They thought they made it out the door without any paint or spills, but little did they know that that it will never be able to make it out all in one piece.
This book is not very realistic because of the characters but a parent might understand it. The story line is something that is believable because it could happen to people. It was a good twist to use elephants instead of people to make the story more appealing to children. Overall this was a good book with a cute storyline.

The genre for this book is fiction. The format is picture book. The reading level is lower elementary (1-3). I would use this book to recommend to children for reading on their own. The theme in this book is family. This book would be good for any gender, race or socioeconomic status.

Murphy, J. (1987). All in one piece. New York, NY: Putnam.

[Paul Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in One Peace describes the trials and tribulations of a mother and father elephant who have three young children. This book, being another in the series, continues the theme of the children being huge attention seekers meaning the parents are constantly under the pressure of the children. This particular story describes how the parents are getting ready to go out to the father's work dinner and dance. However, the children have other ideas and are being as disruptive as possible yet again.

The illustrations in the book are excellent and accurately portray what is happening in the story and this would be useful for learners who use english as an additional language, for some children with SEN and also for visual learners.

I believe the book would be ideally suited for whole class reading in reception and early KS1 and maybe involving comprehension activities in Year 2.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. (less)

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs Large asks for just one thing...a night where she leaves the house 'all in one piece'! Mrs Large is excited about her night out with her husband and does everything in her power to avoid being covered in make-up, food and paint before leaving the house. The children try their best to make it hard for their mother to leave the house but she succeeds! She thinks she has finally left the house 'all in one piece' however we catch a glimpse of the back of her dress covered in paint!
This funny story relates to modern family life and would be suitable for KS1 children. Children could discuss the emotions of the characters and could try to predict what will happen next. The comical illustrations and funny story line make this a great class read.

[Anjumanara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another classic from Jill Murphy which is apealling to both children and adults. A perfect bedtime story to share which depicts typical family humour. A busy household and Mr and Mrs Large are trying to have a night out from the usual chaotic routine but it seems that they'll never make it as they are surrounded by the children. Wherever they go it appears that they are further delayed by the children. Eventually Mr and Mrs Large make it but not without a hitch. It is an ideal for EYFS and Key Stage 1 readers.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

My middle daughter enjoyed Jill Murphy's books about the Large family. In this book Mr and Mrs Large are getting ready for a rare night out, and struggling to get out of the house in one piece without attracting any paint splotches or other messes. Little Cherub is at an age to be concerned about messes, so identified more with Mrs Large than with the Large children! (Lots of "Oh dear! Mess!" as I read.)

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, those children. They are TERRORS! Seriously! Parents should be able to get out of the house without their kids being monsters! But, well, sometimes children just are this way. I tend to think a good swat or a time-out might fix some of it...

I did like the book, and the husband's obvious adoration for his wife is the main reason. Although the picture of the new nylons is pretty spectacular!

[Sienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think there should be more funny bits

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. and Mrs. Large try to leave for a night out without their children making a mess or getting in the way. A nice story that caregivers will relate to.