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Mrs. Piggle Wiggle #1-4
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle Box Set
Includes Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic; Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm
Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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759 people want to read
About the author
Betty MacDonald
59 books321 followersMacDonald was born Anne Elizabeth Campbell Bard in Boulder, Colorado. Her official birth date is given as March 26, 1908, although federal census returns seem to indicate 1907.
Her family moved to the north slope of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood in 1918, moving to the Laurelhurst neighborhood a year later and finally settling in the Roosevelt neighborhood in 1922, where she graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1924.
MacDonald married Robert Eugene Heskett (1895–1951) at age 20 in July 1927; they lived on a chicken farm in the Olympic Peninsula's Chimacum Valley, near Center and a few miles south of Port Townsend. She left Heskett in 1931 and returned to Seattle, where she worked at a variety of jobs to support their daughters Anne and Joan; after the divorce the ex-spouses had virtually no contact.
She spent nine months at Firland Sanatorium near Seattle in 1937–1938 for treatment of tuberculosis. On April 24, 1942 she married Donald C. MacDonald (1910–1975) and moved to Vashon Island, where she wrote most of her books. The MacDonalds moved to California's Carmel Valley in 1956.
MacDonald rose to fame when her first book, The Egg and I, was published in 1945. It was a bestseller and was translated into 20 languages. Based on her life on the Chimacum Valley chicken farm, the books introduced the characters Ma and Pa Kettle, who also were featured in the movie version of The Egg and I. The characters become so popular a series of nine more films were made featuring them. In the film of The Egg and I, made in 1947, MacDonald was played by Claudette Colbert. Her husband (simply called "Bob" in the book) was called "Bob MacDonald" in the film, as studio executives were keen not to raise the matter of MacDonald's divorce in the public consciousness. He was played by Fred MacMurray.
Although the book was a critical and popular success at publication, in the 1970s it was criticized for its stereotypical treatment of Native Americans. It had also been claimed that it "spawned a perception of Washington as a land of eccentric country bumpkins like Ma and Pa Kettle."
MacDonald's defenders point out that in the context of the 1940s such stereotyping was far more acceptable. MacDonald faced two lawsuits: by members of a family who claimed she had based the Kettles on them, and by a man who claimed he was the model for the Indian character Crowbar. One lawsuit was settled out of court, while the second went to trial in February 1951. The plaintiffs did not prevail, although the judge indicated he felt they had shown that some of the claims of defamation had merit.
MacDonald also published three other semi-autobiographical books: Anybody Can Do Anything, recounting her life in the Depression trying to find work; The Plague and I, describing her nine-month stay at the Firlands tuberculosis sanitarium; and Onions in the Stew, about her life on Vashon Island with her second husband and daughters during the war years. She also wrote the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series of children's books and another children's book, entitled Nancy and Plum. A posthumous collection of her writings, entitled Who Me?, was later released.[citation needed]
MacDonald died in Seattle of uterine cancer on February 7, 1958
Her family moved to the north slope of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood in 1918, moving to the Laurelhurst neighborhood a year later and finally settling in the Roosevelt neighborhood in 1922, where she graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1924.
MacDonald married Robert Eugene Heskett (1895–1951) at age 20 in July 1927; they lived on a chicken farm in the Olympic Peninsula's Chimacum Valley, near Center and a few miles south of Port Townsend. She left Heskett in 1931 and returned to Seattle, where she worked at a variety of jobs to support their daughters Anne and Joan; after the divorce the ex-spouses had virtually no contact.
She spent nine months at Firland Sanatorium near Seattle in 1937–1938 for treatment of tuberculosis. On April 24, 1942 she married Donald C. MacDonald (1910–1975) and moved to Vashon Island, where she wrote most of her books. The MacDonalds moved to California's Carmel Valley in 1956.
MacDonald rose to fame when her first book, The Egg and I, was published in 1945. It was a bestseller and was translated into 20 languages. Based on her life on the Chimacum Valley chicken farm, the books introduced the characters Ma and Pa Kettle, who also were featured in the movie version of The Egg and I. The characters become so popular a series of nine more films were made featuring them. In the film of The Egg and I, made in 1947, MacDonald was played by Claudette Colbert. Her husband (simply called "Bob" in the book) was called "Bob MacDonald" in the film, as studio executives were keen not to raise the matter of MacDonald's divorce in the public consciousness. He was played by Fred MacMurray.
Although the book was a critical and popular success at publication, in the 1970s it was criticized for its stereotypical treatment of Native Americans. It had also been claimed that it "spawned a perception of Washington as a land of eccentric country bumpkins like Ma and Pa Kettle."
MacDonald's defenders point out that in the context of the 1940s such stereotyping was far more acceptable. MacDonald faced two lawsuits: by members of a family who claimed she had based the Kettles on them, and by a man who claimed he was the model for the Indian character Crowbar. One lawsuit was settled out of court, while the second went to trial in February 1951. The plaintiffs did not prevail, although the judge indicated he felt they had shown that some of the claims of defamation had merit.
MacDonald also published three other semi-autobiographical books: Anybody Can Do Anything, recounting her life in the Depression trying to find work; The Plague and I, describing her nine-month stay at the Firlands tuberculosis sanitarium; and Onions in the Stew, about her life on Vashon Island with her second husband and daughters during the war years. She also wrote the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series of children's books and another children's book, entitled Nancy and Plum. A posthumous collection of her writings, entitled Who Me?, was later released.[citation needed]
MacDonald died in Seattle of uterine cancer on February 7, 1958
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
June 1, 2009
One of my favorite childhood collections! A fabulous early chapter book. Each chapter can be read as a self-contained story, making them excellent for a "one chapter a night" bedtime read. Each story of a child's less than desirable behavior is told from the parents' perspective (which is a good taste of realism for the children reading them), but Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's cures are deliciously childlike and have just the perfect dash of magical realism tossed in.
If you're looking for life-changing illustrations, these aren't the books for you. Illustrations are minimal black and white pencil sketches. Emphasis is definitely on the stories.
If you're looking for life-changing illustrations, these aren't the books for you. Illustrations are minimal black and white pencil sketches. Emphasis is definitely on the stories.
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June 20, 2023I read the first book in the series to my 4 year old, and it was delightful to re-live a childhood favorite through his giggles.
May 13, 2008
Absolutely LOVED these books as a kid!
November 20, 2022
Paní Láryfáry bydlí v domečku postaveném vzhůru nohama, který jí postavil její nebožtík manžel (vysloužilý pirát). Má psa Darebu, kočku Ťapku, čuníka Kvída, a papouška Penelopu. A najdete u ní nakýblované všechny děti z městečka. Bodejť by ne.
Paní Láryfáry má také úžasnou schopnost vyléčit všechny dětské neduhy. Od ještěchvilkýny, mlátivky a hádavky, po toměnebavínu. Léčby to jsou více nebo méně zábavné. Osobně jsem měla vždy nejradši léčení Anky a Janky Hráškových, kterým jejich rodiče zahrají pěkné divadlo, a hledání pokladu u paní Láryfáry doma.
V poslední části (Haló, paní Láryfáry) je už titulní postava jen pomocí na telefonu, což je škoda.
Český překlad je správně hravý (už jen přeložení Mrs. Piggle-wiggle mi přijde absolutně boží), ale ze všech jmen bych zmínila Pergolku Žouželkovou. To je prostě Jméno.
Paní Láryfáry má také úžasnou schopnost vyléčit všechny dětské neduhy. Od ještěchvilkýny, mlátivky a hádavky, po toměnebavínu. Léčby to jsou více nebo méně zábavné. Osobně jsem měla vždy nejradši léčení Anky a Janky Hráškových, kterým jejich rodiče zahrají pěkné divadlo, a hledání pokladu u paní Láryfáry doma.
V poslední části (Haló, paní Láryfáry) je už titulní postava jen pomocí na telefonu, což je škoda.
Český překlad je správně hravý (už jen přeložení Mrs. Piggle-wiggle mi přijde absolutně boží), ale ze všech jmen bych zmínila Pergolku Žouželkovou. To je prostě Jméno.
May 28, 2023
Peak literatury
February 5, 2021
Ok, my husband remembered these from his childhood. They really are great silly books, but there were pauses to explain some things that have definitely changed over time, and gave opportunities to talk about why we don't spank etc. Several bits are quite a bit antiquated and not at all progressive, but worth talking through why things have change for the better over time to get to read the books.
July 27, 2011
Do not even get me started on Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. If you did not have the luck, privilege or awesome mother that I did growing up please do yourself a favor and read these books, friend.
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is the super cool older lady in the neighborhood. She lives in an upside-down house in which her deceased husband (a PIRATE) left a box of cures for all the stupid things kids do and she is just like Kix cereal! Kids love her because they don't know that she is secretly in league with their parents to get them to behave. And even if they didn't, she still has the coolest house ever.
Basically, each story is some kid has a problem, like they are a picky eater who eats slowly and takes tiny bites (chapter title: The Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker Cure, of course). Mrs. Piggle Wiggle provides the parents with S-E-T-B-T plates that will only serve progressively smaller portions of food until the poor kids does not have the nutrients he needs to function.
Wait. I guess that actually maybe some form of child neglect.
Ok. For the Don't-Want-To-Go-To-Bedders, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle prescribes the cure of letting the kids stay up as late as they want. After a few nights of this, the kids are so tired that the suddenly want to go to bed at 7:00 pm. That's a little better, yes?
There are other cures which are more magical, powders, pills, potions etc. This could be viewed as a prophetic vision to our current drugs-for-kids culture (Ritalin, etc) OR it could just be that magic is really really excellent.
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is the super cool older lady in the neighborhood. She lives in an upside-down house in which her deceased husband (a PIRATE) left a box of cures for all the stupid things kids do and she is just like Kix cereal! Kids love her because they don't know that she is secretly in league with their parents to get them to behave. And even if they didn't, she still has the coolest house ever.
Basically, each story is some kid has a problem, like they are a picky eater who eats slowly and takes tiny bites (chapter title: The Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker Cure, of course). Mrs. Piggle Wiggle provides the parents with S-E-T-B-T plates that will only serve progressively smaller portions of food until the poor kids does not have the nutrients he needs to function.
Wait. I guess that actually maybe some form of child neglect.
Ok. For the Don't-Want-To-Go-To-Bedders, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle prescribes the cure of letting the kids stay up as late as they want. After a few nights of this, the kids are so tired that the suddenly want to go to bed at 7:00 pm. That's a little better, yes?
There are other cures which are more magical, powders, pills, potions etc. This could be viewed as a prophetic vision to our current drugs-for-kids culture (Ritalin, etc) OR it could just be that magic is really really excellent.
September 14, 2015
A classic for a reason--It's damn good. Funny and engaging for children, and adults if you're still reading together.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
June 7, 2020
Ježišmarjá, konečně!!! Paní Láryfáry je super, ale na čtení před spaním straaaaašně dlouhé kapitoly. Doporučila bych spíš na samostatné čtení dětem cca 8-12.
January 3, 2024
O téhle knize jsem slyšela už několikrát, ale dostala jsem se k ní až nyní jako dospělá. Ale to vůbec nevadí. Byť je to primárně pro dětské čtenáře, zajímalo mne, o co jde. A na rozdíl od "malého poseroutky" J. Kinneyho jsem se tady upřímně bavila a kniha mi dělala větší radost. Respektive audiokniha v podání skvělé Dany Syslové.
Najdeme tu humor, ale takový milý a laskavý, který pohladí. Vidím tu přesah - pro děti je to nejen zábavné čtení, ale také docela poučné. Laskavým a milým způsobem tu autorka popisuje některé způsoby "zlobení" a proč takové chování může rodiče zlobit. A přitom autorka nehubuje, nedělá přísné kázání - spíš to bere s nadhledem a lehkostí.
Dospělý člověk se tu pak pobaví a kdo ví, třeba tu i nabere inspiraci, jak se s některými situacemi vypořádat? Nevím, asi možná spíš ne. Ale to nic nemění na tom, že i dospělý člověk si tu najde to svoje v podobě humoru.
Psané je to lehce, svižně a poutavě. Za sebe určitě mohu doporučit. Hodnocení nedávám plné, pravda - pořád je na knize znát, že to je určené hlavně dětem, ale za mne hodně dobrý počin.
Najdeme tu humor, ale takový milý a laskavý, který pohladí. Vidím tu přesah - pro děti je to nejen zábavné čtení, ale také docela poučné. Laskavým a milým způsobem tu autorka popisuje některé způsoby "zlobení" a proč takové chování může rodiče zlobit. A přitom autorka nehubuje, nedělá přísné kázání - spíš to bere s nadhledem a lehkostí.
Dospělý člověk se tu pak pobaví a kdo ví, třeba tu i nabere inspiraci, jak se s některými situacemi vypořádat? Nevím, asi možná spíš ne. Ale to nic nemění na tom, že i dospělý člověk si tu najde to svoje v podobě humoru.
Psané je to lehce, svižně a poutavě. Za sebe určitě mohu doporučit. Hodnocení nedávám plné, pravda - pořád je na knize znát, že to je určené hlavně dětem, ale za mne hodně dobrý počin.
March 16, 2022
One part of the whole book series stuck with me and made me this,
“Penelope (the parrot) squawked, ‘I’ll do it because I want to but not because you tell me to!’
The books had the most important effect on who I am today.
But I can also choose how to be and realize I'm an adult that's not me anymore my childhood doesn't have to define me and I can choose to see something better in this world.
In my memory of Mrs Piggly wiggly I did not know this was a parrot squawking I thought I was the little girl I pictured her throwing a temper tantrum and I remember this phrase being repeated throughout the chapters over and over again.
As I try to listen to this book on YouTube I do not hear the phrase enough to justify the beliefs I made when I heard it as a child.
“Penelope (the parrot) squawked, ‘I’ll do it because I want to but not because you tell me to!’
The books had the most important effect on who I am today.
But I can also choose how to be and realize I'm an adult that's not me anymore my childhood doesn't have to define me and I can choose to see something better in this world.
In my memory of Mrs Piggly wiggly I did not know this was a parrot squawking I thought I was the little girl I pictured her throwing a temper tantrum and I remember this phrase being repeated throughout the chapters over and over again.
As I try to listen to this book on YouTube I do not hear the phrase enough to justify the beliefs I made when I heard it as a child.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2019
These stories make me laugh. They are a lovely time capsule from the 1950s and I can see how they shaped my thoughts about what motherhood would be like. When I shared some with my husband, he pointed out a couple of things: first, that the parents never took the time to examine the underlying cause of the bad behavior - it was always just assumed that it was a bad habit that the child needed to be trained out of; and second, that artificial consequences could effectively change bad habits. Both of those are very 1950s parenting philosophies, and I hope I do better with that. When I tried reading these with my oldest daughter awhile ago, she thought they were weird. The funny names make me laugh, and the situations also make me laugh. As a child, I remember wondering if it was really possible to cry so much that you filled up the courtyard at school. The adult me knows that it's not. I really enjoyed re-reading these (all four of them) but I don't know if I'll share them with my kids or not.
October 23, 2019
Genre: Historically Significant
Awards: None
Audience:6-10 years old
A. 1947
B. This book series are considered classics. They hold fun and silly stories that would entertain a wide variety of students.
C. Students may not know what words like cure or ailment means. I would discuss these words before reading the book so that students are not stumped by it when it comes up.
Awards: None
Audience:6-10 years old
A. 1947
B. This book series are considered classics. They hold fun and silly stories that would entertain a wide variety of students.
C. Students may not know what words like cure or ailment means. I would discuss these words before reading the book so that students are not stumped by it when it comes up.
February 16, 2018
We read this book as a class when I was in grade school. I never forgot this series and bought the set for my own kids. Chapters are easy to read and make for a good, somewhat short, bedtime stories!
May 9, 2019
These books are imaginative and humorous as they look at problems kids (and parents) have. Although Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s cures are not currently available, she helps us look creatively at our problems and find our own solutions.
February 2, 2020
Návrat do dětství 😍
April 22, 2021
Tyto knížky, co Betty MacDonaldová napsala jsou opravdu jedinečné. Hlavně příběhy o této Paní LáryFáry. Mám je i na CD.
August 8, 2021
These are classics.
November 16, 2021
A nice re-read of once-beloved childhood book. Some of the concepts for parenting styles and family dynamics did not age well, you just have to bear in mind it was first published in 1947.
December 12, 2021
Brooke loves all of these. A little old fashioned but cute.
January 31, 2022
my son loved this collection, and thankfully it aged well with no overt racism, which was a real treat.
February 27, 2022
My favorite childhood book ever so cute and whimsical I love ❤️
September 7, 2022
If you have young kids read it to them. If you have pre teens have them read it. This book is amazingly silly with good story lines. Loved reading as a child and rereading as an adult to my kids.
September 26, 2023
We listened to all the Mrs Piggle Wiggle books on audible in the car. They are a little outdated and definitely not politically correct but my kids still enjoyed them.
April 1, 2024
My 9 year old and 4 year old love these stories and want to hear them over and over.
March 7, 2025
Četla jsem to jako dítě a líbilo se mi to moc
December 7, 2025
Loved these books as a kid! Small chapter books for young readers.
December 16, 2011
We've read these books together many, many times, and the kids STILL ask for them! That is a sure sign that they're good! :)
As a mom, I LOVE the repetition for kids—there is a problem identified, a cure given, and all is well within 20 pages or so! It’s perfect to read one cure a night at bedtime, and they get the full gambit of the story from beginning to end before they slip off into dreamland! They’re sweet, funny, and predictable, which is perfect for kids!
The conversations of the moms with other moms are HILARIOUS!!! They’re perfect!! You call another mom to ask her for advice, but she goes off on how perfect her kids are and what THEY do is always right and wonderful...I laughed and laughed every time a mom would call her 'friend' to ask for help!
The cures in the first book are actually something that could be possible. Such as letting your kid live in his mess of a room until he can't possibly get out! Ha!
The middle two of the series have cures that involve magic pills/powders/talking animals that produce some pretty hilarious results (think pigs with manners, magic powder that makes show-offs invisible, pills that produce smoke with tattletales that puff out of the mouth…) They're fun and the kids loved them--always wondering what cure would be thought up next!
The last book (Mrs. P’s Farm) has cures that could reasonably happen (ie without magic), however the animals are very human-like and thus the cures have that added ‘charm’ so it’s not a ‘how-to’ book that can still be enjoyed by children and parents alike! All the animals have special 'talents' and seem very human like! Especially that crazy parrot! :)
The family setting is very ‘nuclear’—Mom, Dad, kids, family pets… The moms all stay home and bake goodies all day, and are pretty pathetic and wishy-washy. The dads go to work and read the paper and yell if anyone is too loud…they're quick to punish and ignore their family while reading the paper, and have no time to help the moms at all. The kids all walk to school by themselves and play all day without the moms really knowing where they are (the moms will call Mrs. P and Mrs. P will say she knows the children well and the moms are usually quite surprised by this!!!) Also, there's the old-school way of doling out punishment: yelling and spanking. The kids call each other names...and sometimes even call their parents names! (Such as dummy or idiot) I admit, I skipped over those when I read them aloud. Someday, my kids are going to go back and read these to themselves (or their children) and wonder why it is different than what I read! Ha!
My kids laugh and laugh and laugh! They really love the Never-go-to-bedders cure, the radish cure, the thought-you-said cure...and so many more!! As a kid, you can relate and find the action funny and wish you could do all those fun things, too! As an adult, you can also relate—recognizing all those ‘diseases’ in your own kids—and wish that you had a cure-all just a phone call away! I could sure use Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle once in awhile, and if anyone has her contact info, feel free to share!
As a mom, I LOVE the repetition for kids—there is a problem identified, a cure given, and all is well within 20 pages or so! It’s perfect to read one cure a night at bedtime, and they get the full gambit of the story from beginning to end before they slip off into dreamland! They’re sweet, funny, and predictable, which is perfect for kids!
The conversations of the moms with other moms are HILARIOUS!!! They’re perfect!! You call another mom to ask her for advice, but she goes off on how perfect her kids are and what THEY do is always right and wonderful...I laughed and laughed every time a mom would call her 'friend' to ask for help!
The cures in the first book are actually something that could be possible. Such as letting your kid live in his mess of a room until he can't possibly get out! Ha!
The middle two of the series have cures that involve magic pills/powders/talking animals that produce some pretty hilarious results (think pigs with manners, magic powder that makes show-offs invisible, pills that produce smoke with tattletales that puff out of the mouth…) They're fun and the kids loved them--always wondering what cure would be thought up next!
The last book (Mrs. P’s Farm) has cures that could reasonably happen (ie without magic), however the animals are very human-like and thus the cures have that added ‘charm’ so it’s not a ‘how-to’ book that can still be enjoyed by children and parents alike! All the animals have special 'talents' and seem very human like! Especially that crazy parrot! :)
The family setting is very ‘nuclear’—Mom, Dad, kids, family pets… The moms all stay home and bake goodies all day, and are pretty pathetic and wishy-washy. The dads go to work and read the paper and yell if anyone is too loud…they're quick to punish and ignore their family while reading the paper, and have no time to help the moms at all. The kids all walk to school by themselves and play all day without the moms really knowing where they are (the moms will call Mrs. P and Mrs. P will say she knows the children well and the moms are usually quite surprised by this!!!) Also, there's the old-school way of doling out punishment: yelling and spanking. The kids call each other names...and sometimes even call their parents names! (Such as dummy or idiot) I admit, I skipped over those when I read them aloud. Someday, my kids are going to go back and read these to themselves (or their children) and wonder why it is different than what I read! Ha!
My kids laugh and laugh and laugh! They really love the Never-go-to-bedders cure, the radish cure, the thought-you-said cure...and so many more!! As a kid, you can relate and find the action funny and wish you could do all those fun things, too! As an adult, you can also relate—recognizing all those ‘diseases’ in your own kids—and wish that you had a cure-all just a phone call away! I could sure use Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle once in awhile, and if anyone has her contact info, feel free to share!
November 16, 2012
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty McDonald is a quick read kind of childish book, but will make you laugh. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is a woman who lives on a street with many children, who adore very much. Her house is upside down and it makes a fun playhouse for the children who come every day. Not only is Mrs. Piggle Wiggle great with kids, she also knows a lot about them. She has many funny sounding "cures" for children who don't behave that well. One of my favorite cures is won't-take-a-bath-idis. It's about a girl who won't take a shower to her mother calls Mrs. Piggle Wiggle ( like every other parent on the street ). She tells her to put fertilized soil on her daughter when she is sleeping, then the next day put radishes, onions, or garlic in the dirt and wait for it to grow. Soon the radishes grow and no one wants to be near her even her best friend, so her mother tells her the only way to fix the problem is take a shower. My mom read that chapter and I started showering every day, didn't want to end up like her. This book is a fun, exciting book, and it will get a laugh out of you. Out of a 5 star rating, I would give it a 4. This is a fun book for everyone and is one of my favorite small books.
November 19, 2015
Surprisingly, I did not enjoy this book in any way. I thought the humor in this book was too immature for my taste and I had a very difficult time appreciating the text that was written. I thought I would give this book a try because just by the cover, I really thought I would enjoy this book a lot more. I can see why some do enjoy this book. It is a very easy read and some younger students may appreciate the humor of the nanny, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and her humor she brings into the family. SHe has a witty personality and is quite clumsy for an older nanny. The kids fall in love with her goofy ways and I can see how some students may appreciate that kind of literature. The illustrations in this book are very light and bright which bring the book to life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews