The Tale of Pip & Squeak

by Kate Duke

BOOK

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Art, Family, Music, Friendship

Hardcover

First published April 19, 2007

About the author

Duke was born in New York City on August 1, 1956. She had said that reading was a favorite pastime all through childhood, and in an interview for Something About the Author noted that Louise Fitzhugh’s Harriet the Spy was a fictional character she modeled, right down to keeping tabs on the people in her neighborhood. “I think I owe Harriet my first conscious awareness of the act of writing as important and meaningful work,” she said.

She attended Duke University in the mid 1970s and also took art classes in New York City, which helped solidify her growing ambition to create picture books. Her first book, The Guinea Pig ABC (Dutton) was published in 1983 and received warm accolades for its humor and inventiveness. She followed up her debut with Guinea Pigs Far and Near (Dutton, 1984) and several other titles starring the popular critters. Duke went on to craft more than 20 picture books, writing and illustrating her own work, as well as providing illustrations for other authors including Joanna Cole and William Hooks. Duke married cartoonist Sidney Harris in 1985.

Reviews

[Sydney Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

• Pip is an Artist and his brother Squeak is a song writer and singer. The two do not get along. Pip’s paints smell bad and bother Squeaks throat and Squeak’s singing is too annoying and breaks Pip’s concentration. They live on opposite sides of the house to avoid one another. Every year they have a party and show off their talents, well this year they both want to use the large room in the middle of house. They must learn to work together if their party is going to go smoothly.
• Grades pre-k -2
• I would use this in an English class or in an art or music class.
• Individual students that may benefit from this book include a student with siblings that they fight with frequently, students that need to improve their problem solving skills.
• I would use this book in groups to allow students to come up with a different way of solving the problem then they can present their idea to the class to see all the different ways to solve one problem. This will also teach students problem solving skills.
• This book could be used in a whole class setting as a read aloud. Students can make connections to their own lives and think of ways to solve their own problems.
• This book is available through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. It can also be purchased through amazon.
• Other books like this include: The Guinea Pig ABC by Kate Duke

[Elijah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book thousands of times.

Pip's punch was always better.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowed this from the library because the illustrations are cute. I’m trying to learn to draw, and find copying illustrations is one way to experiment with different styles.

The plot isn’t all that original. Two mouse brothers, one a painter and the other a singer, don’t get along, each finding the other’s profession irritating, [spoiler alert] but come together to ultimately resolve their differences. But ai did like the illustrations.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pip and Squeak are two very competitive and bickering siblings. Each trying to out do the other, but when they plan their annual party things get a little out of hand, and the brothers must come up with a workable solution to their problem.

[Keshia Burchette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one to my daughter and thought it was a pretty cute story. Good tale of siblings/friends coming together and working together.

[Villain E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too wordy. Pip likes art. Squeak likes music. They get on each other's nerves. They have a big fight. Then they compromise.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pip and Squeak were two mouse brothers who got along with everyone except each other, although they shared a house. Pip was an artist, and Squeak complained that the paint smell made him feel sick. Pip complained that when Squeak sang the songs that he wrote his singing hurt Pip’s ears. Because of that they lived in separate upstairs rooms at opposite ends of the house. The big room in the middle was for their annual party when they invited in their neighbourhood friends. This year they got into such an argument about who was going to be the star of the party that a catastrophe resulted. This led to a funny situation and that changed their lives.
Great story beautifully illustrated.

[Bonnie Chang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Siblings are different and they fight. Pip and Squeak on the other hand find each other completely appalling. Each year they do exactly one even together, the Christmas party. But when both brothers get on each others last nerve their beautifully set up party is destroyed by their fight. What do they do? The guest will be arriving soon! The brothers are forced to work together and eventually come up with a beautiful set up by working together. This book is a wonderful tool for predicting, problem solving and sequencing.

[Emerson and Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pip and squeak are two brothers who do not get along. I actually thought the book was a little weak but the author must be on to something: Emerson has asked to reread this book several times and as we read through it he points at the mice at different activities and announces naughty mice or nice mice. Finally they make up and work cooperatively to put on a great performance for all their friends.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two brothers with different tastes, one in music, one in art. They learn to get it together by the end so they can both be the star of the show.

What I learned from this book: it's tough having siblings.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting tale of sibling rivalry gone askew, with two brothers living together, but hardly speaking to one another and always trying to one-up the other during their annual party. This is a good book to read when you are trying to get two siblings to get along.

[Bina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful tale of sibling rivalry and artistic competition! Kate's wry text is well served by her endearing illustrations. Yay!

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute read on sibling rivalry. One that is good to read to your children after a silly argument. My kids enjoyed it.

[Pinky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pip and Squeak learn to work together and put the best show on that their friends have ever seen.

[Jaylin Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pip and Squeak are brothers, but don't get along. They eventually work together.