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Mudkin
"Rain's gone! Time to play!" commands the queen. Well, she's not really a queen―just an ordinary girl who has an extraordinary day. She meets Mudkin, a friendly creature who whips up a robe and crown for her. Away they go to meet Her Majesty's subjects. Even if the kingdom lasts only until the next rain shower, the crown Mudkin gives her is forever. In his unmistakable style, Caldecott-winning artist Stephen Gammell creates an ode to the most potent of childhood mud and imagination.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2010
15 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Gammell
80 books115 followersCaldecott winner US children's book illustrator.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
June 14, 2017
This earth elemental wants a young girl to join it in a kingdom of mud! Kind of reminded me of Erlkönig by Goethe - but I am sure young children will not see the connection.
November 6, 2011
The negative reviews of this book make me laugh - a book with few words? How dare he! (Pardon the sarcasm.) I generously appreciated this whimsical story of a girl playing outside after the rain on a muddy day. Her conversations with Mudkin were inspired - do we really need to know what he says? No; we can INFER! Inference is such a tricky skill to teach, but this book practically does it itself without needing much teacher direction. Love it. Will recommend to teachers, for sure.
June 7, 2011
What happens when mud and imagination meet.
November 10, 2019
I really like the artwork in this book. The colors are gorgeous and there's just the right amount of detail, the pages are not crowded or busy. There's some text but it's primarily a picture book.
We see a young girl playing outside in the mud, when suddenly part of the mud turns into a sentient being that invites her to play. Gammell leaves it up to the reader to decide if the mud creature is real or a figment of the girls vivid imagination. And what an imagination she has; her mud creations are amazing and varied. We see her gleefully playing the mud, getting thoroughly dirty until the sun comes out and the book ends.
In all, it's a fun book with gorgeous artwork and a story that celebrates getting dirty and using your imagination. A caution: The mud creatures can be a little scary looking for the younger kids.
We see a young girl playing outside in the mud, when suddenly part of the mud turns into a sentient being that invites her to play. Gammell leaves it up to the reader to decide if the mud creature is real or a figment of the girls vivid imagination. And what an imagination she has; her mud creations are amazing and varied. We see her gleefully playing the mud, getting thoroughly dirty until the sun comes out and the book ends.
In all, it's a fun book with gorgeous artwork and a story that celebrates getting dirty and using your imagination. A caution: The mud creatures can be a little scary looking for the younger kids.
childrens-books
January 9, 2022Amazing artwork, and who doesn't want to be Queen of the Mud in a rainstorm?
June 26, 2014
as i was perusing this book i thought, "this book IS awesome!"
LOVE the illustrations!!! Fantastic. What a creative picture book. would work well with rainy day, weather, imagination play, the butler program, playing outside themes.
LOVE the illustrations!!! Fantastic. What a creative picture book. would work well with rainy day, weather, imagination play, the butler program, playing outside themes.
January 10, 2021
Most children have to settle for making mud pies, but one lucky little girl's excursion into the outdoors leads to her becoming Queen of the mud-people. (Sounds like an ad for Tide Pods, I know, but sometimes a brief rain shower is as good as a washer.)
Gammell's splotchy, frenetic artwork is perfect for this tale of Mother Nature at her muddiest.
Gammell's splotchy, frenetic artwork is perfect for this tale of Mother Nature at her muddiest.
October 1, 2015
Stephen Gammell’s wordless picture book Mudkin is a great example of quality literature. This book tells the story of the self proclaimed queen dancing and playing in the mud with her stuffed animals, when all of a sudden a creature made of mud comes to life. This creature, she is shocked but jumps with excitement. Leaving her other stuffed friends behind, she goes on an adventure with Mudkin. He makes her a robe of mud, along with a hat and a carriage. They ride quite some distance in the carriage until the reach a castle, when they enter the gates they look down from their view and she sees that there are many creatures just like Mudkin living there. It starts to rain, and the castle falls to ruins, leaving the main character alone with her stuffed animals once again, to make their way home. This book although wordless tells a great story to its readers. There is a lot for children of any ages to love about this book. The colors are very vibrant and there is a lot of movement, the illustrator chose to use watercolor as his medium, so the reader can really see all the movement in this book, the watercolor enhances everything that the main character and Mudkin do together by the messy illustration it gives. Although most of this book is wordless, there are two pages with brief conversation. Although there is text, it follows the book theme in a very playful way. The font changes, backgrounds are added to some words, some words are colorful, and others are underlined. The text is not in a consistent case, switching from upper to lower. On the pages with text, it is only legible what the girl is saying; Mudkin’s words are completely up for reader interpretation. I would recommend this book for early readers. There is so much to look at in this book, without being too busy. The images for the most part are one per page, until they reach the castle there is a spread covering two pages with all of the Mudkins looking up and waving. Also the last page of the book is a two-page spread of the main character walking home, when the rain had washed the mud away.
March 25, 2011
Description:
"Rain's gone! Time to play!" commands the queen. Well, she's not really a queen - just an ordinary girl who has an extraordinary day. She meets Mudkin, a friendly creature who whips up a robe and crown for her. Away they go to meet Her Majesty's subjects. Even if the kingdom lasts only until the next rain shower, the crown Mudkin gives her is forever.
In his unmistakable style, Caldecott-winning artist Stephen Gammel creates an ode to the most potent of childhood mixtures: mud and imagination.
My thoughts...
What a curious book ~ the story of a girl who becomes Queen of the mud people. For a book that doesn't have that much text (and some was too muddy to read!) it is a funny story and really dives deep into the imagination of a girl playing outside. I am not sure if this would work, but you could make up your own dialogue for the 'mud' text - which could be a lot of fun! The illustrations are very neat...it almost looks like Stephen Gammell used real mud to create his masterpiece of a book.
This book would be great for preschool age and up (my girls loved it too!). I would definitely recommend this book for any mud loving child...they will have fun imagining along with the little girl and maybe get some new ideas of their own!
To learn more about the book click here. This book is available on Amazon for purchase now!
Thank You so much Net Galley and Lerner Publishing Group (Carolrhoda Books) for allowing me to read this book! I cannot wait to read more books from you in the future!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Net Galley review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
"Rain's gone! Time to play!" commands the queen. Well, she's not really a queen - just an ordinary girl who has an extraordinary day. She meets Mudkin, a friendly creature who whips up a robe and crown for her. Away they go to meet Her Majesty's subjects. Even if the kingdom lasts only until the next rain shower, the crown Mudkin gives her is forever.
In his unmistakable style, Caldecott-winning artist Stephen Gammel creates an ode to the most potent of childhood mixtures: mud and imagination.
My thoughts...
What a curious book ~ the story of a girl who becomes Queen of the mud people. For a book that doesn't have that much text (and some was too muddy to read!) it is a funny story and really dives deep into the imagination of a girl playing outside. I am not sure if this would work, but you could make up your own dialogue for the 'mud' text - which could be a lot of fun! The illustrations are very neat...it almost looks like Stephen Gammell used real mud to create his masterpiece of a book.
This book would be great for preschool age and up (my girls loved it too!). I would definitely recommend this book for any mud loving child...they will have fun imagining along with the little girl and maybe get some new ideas of their own!
To learn more about the book click here. This book is available on Amazon for purchase now!
Thank You so much Net Galley and Lerner Publishing Group (Carolrhoda Books) for allowing me to read this book! I cannot wait to read more books from you in the future!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Net Galley review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
February 9, 2015
It all starts with a shower, a rain shower. Once the rain has passed, a little girl decides to go outside and play. she plays with her teddy bears and then meets Mudkin. A mud friend who names her the queen. They play and Mudkin builds her and enormous castle fit for a queen along with other mud subjects. They go about playing until the rain begins again. Slowly the castle and her subjects star to wash away as Mudkin makes the promise that they will be friends no matter what. Then when her play world has all washed away, she collects her toys and returns home.
The use of this being in the category of a wordless picture book makes the story even better. Allowing a child to use their imagination in this story gives it a boost above the rest because some may say that this is a book about a girls imagination. With the few words that are said, Mudkin's are not actually structured and so the child can use their comprehension skills to infer as to what he is saying based on the pictures and minor dialogue given by the young girl.
Books are difficult for young readers who wish to find something they like and can relate to, but all readers, even the ones who cannot read yet can thoroughly enjoys this book because it is full of mud!Every kid loved to play with mud at one point in their lives and this story can truly connect with them. Mud is fun and of course kids would always imagine they were the queen or king, the most powerful they could be because their imagination allowed them to.
The style of the images match the book very well. How the images blend on a full page go along with using your complete imagination. How the young girl is drawn: nerdy, lanky,red hair, not your usual looking child. She is shown as messy and fun, although most parents would disagree with their child coming home caked in mud, she seems as though they wont mind, that as long as she is happy, they would not mind anything at all.
The use of this being in the category of a wordless picture book makes the story even better. Allowing a child to use their imagination in this story gives it a boost above the rest because some may say that this is a book about a girls imagination. With the few words that are said, Mudkin's are not actually structured and so the child can use their comprehension skills to infer as to what he is saying based on the pictures and minor dialogue given by the young girl.
Books are difficult for young readers who wish to find something they like and can relate to, but all readers, even the ones who cannot read yet can thoroughly enjoys this book because it is full of mud!Every kid loved to play with mud at one point in their lives and this story can truly connect with them. Mud is fun and of course kids would always imagine they were the queen or king, the most powerful they could be because their imagination allowed them to.
The style of the images match the book very well. How the images blend on a full page go along with using your complete imagination. How the young girl is drawn: nerdy, lanky,red hair, not your usual looking child. She is shown as messy and fun, although most parents would disagree with their child coming home caked in mud, she seems as though they wont mind, that as long as she is happy, they would not mind anything at all.
February 2, 2012
Mudkin by Stephen Gammal is about a young girl who goes to play outside after a storm. Soon after being outside she meets Mudkin, a creature made out of mud. Mudkin asks the girl if she will be Queen of all the mud creatures. The girl accepts and Mudkin gives her a cloack made out of mud. Together they explore the mud castle and the girl meets all of the mud creatures and gets to ride in a mud chariot. However, another storm comes and the girls mud world is quickly destroyed. After this the girl decides to just go home.
When I first read Mudkin I didn't like it. However, after reading it several times and studying the illustrations I think that Mudkin is a very creative book. The illustrations are simple and would be easy for children to interpret and understand. Eveything is kind of dark, except for the little girl. She is drawn in bright colors such as yellow and blue, and her stuffed animals are also bright. I also noticed the little girls facial expressions are on point. Her face shows happiness when she gets to go outside to play, and complete surprise when she discovers Mudkin. My favorite part of the book is when the girl rides in a mud chariot and explores the mud castle. The illustrations are very creative in showing these two things being made out of mud. After the rain and everything is washed away, the illustrations depict the castle and all of the mud creatures sort of melting away. I thought Mudkin was interesting because it explores a child's imagination and would take children to another world where anything was possible. The illustrations go along wit the story, and really drag the reader into the "mud world." It is a story that almost every child could relate to because most children enjoy playing in the mud and using their imagination with the mud after a storm.
When I first read Mudkin I didn't like it. However, after reading it several times and studying the illustrations I think that Mudkin is a very creative book. The illustrations are simple and would be easy for children to interpret and understand. Eveything is kind of dark, except for the little girl. She is drawn in bright colors such as yellow and blue, and her stuffed animals are also bright. I also noticed the little girls facial expressions are on point. Her face shows happiness when she gets to go outside to play, and complete surprise when she discovers Mudkin. My favorite part of the book is when the girl rides in a mud chariot and explores the mud castle. The illustrations are very creative in showing these two things being made out of mud. After the rain and everything is washed away, the illustrations depict the castle and all of the mud creatures sort of melting away. I thought Mudkin was interesting because it explores a child's imagination and would take children to another world where anything was possible. The illustrations go along wit the story, and really drag the reader into the "mud world." It is a story that almost every child could relate to because most children enjoy playing in the mud and using their imagination with the mud after a storm.
August 1, 2017
Check out more picture book reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
A girl playing in the mud creates a fantasy creature and becomes its queen.
Quite an odd book and yet imaginative. The drawings are what suck you in. There are words but very few and you can't read the mud words. There were too many ideas all crammed in the same book and it was confusing for my nephew to focus on one of them. The drawings would stand alone very well.
I also love the idea of having real words the girl is saying contrasted with mud words we have to imagine but then there needed to be less words on a single page so that as we turned each page we could talk about the drawing, the words we can read and the words we can't. In other words smaller chunks since we are focusing on imagining new words. There was just too much going on so the point became muddy in a not so good way.
Still for a quick library read it was good, but it lacked enough substance to follow through with the activities my nephew and I normally do after we read a book.
BOTTOM LINE: Whimsically muddy drawings and story!
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my picture book reviews in a special feature called Boo's Picture Gallery...
A girl playing in the mud creates a fantasy creature and becomes its queen.
Quite an odd book and yet imaginative. The drawings are what suck you in. There are words but very few and you can't read the mud words. There were too many ideas all crammed in the same book and it was confusing for my nephew to focus on one of them. The drawings would stand alone very well.
I also love the idea of having real words the girl is saying contrasted with mud words we have to imagine but then there needed to be less words on a single page so that as we turned each page we could talk about the drawing, the words we can read and the words we can't. In other words smaller chunks since we are focusing on imagining new words. There was just too much going on so the point became muddy in a not so good way.
Still for a quick library read it was good, but it lacked enough substance to follow through with the activities my nephew and I normally do after we read a book.
BOTTOM LINE: Whimsically muddy drawings and story!
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my picture book reviews in a special feature called Boo's Picture Gallery...
February 22, 2011
A young girl heads outside after it stops raining to play, pretending to be a queen. Suddenly, some mud turns into Mudkin, a jolly muddy creature, who asks the girl to be his queen. Mudkin speaks in muddy phrases, splotches instead of letters, but happily the girl interprets for us. Mudkin creates a robe and crown from mud for the new queen. He also makes a carriage that carries the queen to the muddy castle on the hill. From the parapet, she sees the large number of mudkins that she will be reigning over and pledges to rule forever. Then the rain begins again and the mud dreams are washed away.
Gammell uses his signature style here to great effect with the swirls of color as shadow and the flying sprays of mud that follow every gesture. Mudkin is a very friendly creature of warm brown, who smiles and drips. Gammell has created a brown that celebrates the colors within it, turning to yellows, reds and oranges too.
The book has very few words, most of them in the conversations between the girl and Mudkin. Mudkin speaks a marvelous way, in smudges that almost are letters, but not quite. It brings the pleasure of imagination and play into the text as well as the illustrations.
A book sure to encourage children to head out in the rain, play in the mud, imagine, dream, and come back in resembling Mudkin!
Gammell uses his signature style here to great effect with the swirls of color as shadow and the flying sprays of mud that follow every gesture. Mudkin is a very friendly creature of warm brown, who smiles and drips. Gammell has created a brown that celebrates the colors within it, turning to yellows, reds and oranges too.
The book has very few words, most of them in the conversations between the girl and Mudkin. Mudkin speaks a marvelous way, in smudges that almost are letters, but not quite. It brings the pleasure of imagination and play into the text as well as the illustrations.
A book sure to encourage children to head out in the rain, play in the mud, imagine, dream, and come back in resembling Mudkin!
June 30, 2011
When an adult see’s a puddle after a rainstorm it’s not often you meet one that will stomp in it, but children on the other hand… In this case it’s a little girl who happens to also be the queen! Queen of what? Well, that’s up to her and her imagination. In this case, her imagination carries her to a kingdom of ‘mud-people’ lead by a small creature named Mudkin. What begins as a simple mud puddle turns into an adventure for the day.
This happens to be my first experience reading or viewing any of Stephen Gammell’s work and I have to say I absolutely adore it. Beginning with the illustrations alone, you can’t help but love his ability to create beautiful images with what seem to be splashes of paint. I know it’s much more work than that, especially after viewing the trailer for Mudkin, but I love it.
Mudkin is the perfect story for little children with little or big imaginations. Depending on their level of understanding you may or may not have to explain a bit of what’s going on due to the lack of dialogue, but that’s a simple thing to accomplish. Once kiddos take in the story, see it for what it is, you can begin to see their imaginations soar. A wonderfully simple, yet gorgeous story about a young girl with a vivid imagination and her new friend Mudkin. Absolutely sure to please all who pick it up!
This happens to be my first experience reading or viewing any of Stephen Gammell’s work and I have to say I absolutely adore it. Beginning with the illustrations alone, you can’t help but love his ability to create beautiful images with what seem to be splashes of paint. I know it’s much more work than that, especially after viewing the trailer for Mudkin, but I love it.
Mudkin is the perfect story for little children with little or big imaginations. Depending on their level of understanding you may or may not have to explain a bit of what’s going on due to the lack of dialogue, but that’s a simple thing to accomplish. Once kiddos take in the story, see it for what it is, you can begin to see their imaginations soar. A wonderfully simple, yet gorgeous story about a young girl with a vivid imagination and her new friend Mudkin. Absolutely sure to please all who pick it up!
October 26, 2017
This book tells an creative tale on how a girl goes outside to play after the rain has finished. She brings her stuff animals outside as well and begins to play. However, from the ground of mud comes a creature called "Mudkin." They go on to play and he illustrations show that they go on many adventures. They travel to a castle built of mud and the girl even meets more mud creatures! The book is mostly illustrations so the plot is basically left up to the reader!
Overall, I appreciate this books illustrations as they are not typical. The book illustrations are drawn to look like they are made with mud. So the illustrations look like they are dripping. However, the little text that is in this book I feel like would be confusing for children to read. The font they chose is very sloppy looking. There is mud splatters underneath every text indicating that the Mudkin and the girl are having a conversation. However, it is intentional for you not to make out what the Mudkin text is saying. To me, that makes it harder for children to understand and engage with the book. I feel like children would not want to read this book because they will not have a good sense of what is going on. Therefore, I would not recommend this book for a child under any circumstance.
Overall, I appreciate this books illustrations as they are not typical. The book illustrations are drawn to look like they are made with mud. So the illustrations look like they are dripping. However, the little text that is in this book I feel like would be confusing for children to read. The font they chose is very sloppy looking. There is mud splatters underneath every text indicating that the Mudkin and the girl are having a conversation. However, it is intentional for you not to make out what the Mudkin text is saying. To me, that makes it harder for children to understand and engage with the book. I feel like children would not want to read this book because they will not have a good sense of what is going on. Therefore, I would not recommend this book for a child under any circumstance.
March 8, 2012
I LOVE this book. A story about a mud... blob? and the little girl *it* (Mudkin?) befriend... the illustrations are incredible. Paintings themselves, the illustrations capture the messiness that a mud-blob would be if it were dancing around with a child, as it does in the book.
Very little text, the illustrations take the reader through the imagination of the child who is playing in the/with the mud (even becoming QUEEN of the mud, as crowned by Mudkin.
My favorite part was the page of dialogue between the child and Mudkin:
Child: "Hi... what's your name?"
(mud sludge)
Child: "Mudkin... it's nice to meet you."
(mud sludge)
Child: "A QUEEN? Oh no... I'm just playing..."
and so forth.
This book is great for the imagination and one of beautiful illustrations.
Perfect for YOUNG readers, while stronger readers will probably appreciate it all the same.
*In a way, reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are as it uses a great amount of imagination, and as a reader, you can't help but connect with the child as they are lost there.
Very little text, the illustrations take the reader through the imagination of the child who is playing in the/with the mud (even becoming QUEEN of the mud, as crowned by Mudkin.
My favorite part was the page of dialogue between the child and Mudkin:
Child: "Hi... what's your name?"
(mud sludge)
Child: "Mudkin... it's nice to meet you."
(mud sludge)
Child: "A QUEEN? Oh no... I'm just playing..."
and so forth.
This book is great for the imagination and one of beautiful illustrations.
Perfect for YOUNG readers, while stronger readers will probably appreciate it all the same.
*In a way, reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are as it uses a great amount of imagination, and as a reader, you can't help but connect with the child as they are lost there.
December 14, 2010
When my daughter was about 3 years old, she came into the house covered in mud. After some discussion about how to keep out of mud-puddles while wearing our nice clothes, she looked at me with the sincerest of faces and said “When I grow up, I’m gonna be a pig in the mud. Then nobody will worry if I get dirty or not.”
When I read Mudkin, I was quickly and vividly taken back to that day. I never again made my daughter choose between “nice” clothes and a mud-puddle. When the mud was out, her clothes were wash-and-wear. The illustrations are, as expected, phenomenal. So very true in a magical, whimsical way, to the fun my children always had in the mud. A very good lesson of letting go of inhibitions and letting imagination take hold.
This should be on every parent’s to buy list!
When I read Mudkin, I was quickly and vividly taken back to that day. I never again made my daughter choose between “nice” clothes and a mud-puddle. When the mud was out, her clothes were wash-and-wear. The illustrations are, as expected, phenomenal. So very true in a magical, whimsical way, to the fun my children always had in the mud. A very good lesson of letting go of inhibitions and letting imagination take hold.
This should be on every parent’s to buy list!
February 27, 2011
Title: Mudkin by Stephen Gammell
Summary: With the help of her imagination and lots of mud, a little girl becomes a queen.
Age: 4-6 years
Rating: Yes!
Pros:
Gammell’s colorful and lively illustrations easily transport viewers into the magic of the story.
The sparseness of the text in the book gives children an opportunity to create their own dialog.
The illustrations progress in a clear and logical manner, making the story easy to follow even though it is largely wordless.
Cons: The delicacy of the watercolor illustrations makes the book difficult to use with larger groups.
Usage: With its lively illustrations and delicate detail this almost wordless picture book would work well for one-on-one sharing or intimate storytime.
Summary: With the help of her imagination and lots of mud, a little girl becomes a queen.
Age: 4-6 years
Rating: Yes!
Pros:
Gammell’s colorful and lively illustrations easily transport viewers into the magic of the story.
The sparseness of the text in the book gives children an opportunity to create their own dialog.
The illustrations progress in a clear and logical manner, making the story easy to follow even though it is largely wordless.
Cons: The delicacy of the watercolor illustrations makes the book difficult to use with larger groups.
Usage: With its lively illustrations and delicate detail this almost wordless picture book would work well for one-on-one sharing or intimate storytime.
May 6, 2012
Ok so this isn't actually wordless, but it's pretty close. The illustrations in this are KILLER. They have all the beautifully painterly splashiness of the tales to tell in the dark, but with vibrant colors and none of the creepy factor. The story itself is whimsical and simple. A girl pretending to be a queen goes to play outside in the mud, where a creature called Mudkin comes to life and takes her to its kingdom. They are all set to play forever until it rains and the mud gets all gloppy. It could be considered a little sad, actually, but I assume Mudkin will be back. This is great for kids who like to play with messy stuff.
June 12, 2011
We got this from the library after Little Miss had her mud day. We then read it repeatedly over the next week.
Since Mudkin speaks in muddy squiggles, we made guesses as to what she sounds like (Peapod deemed Mudkin a girl; no basis other than she's three, and she wants most things to be girls like she is). I would make the muddiest, squishiest sounds I could think of. Then we would try to guess what Mudkin had said.
This was a great "conversation" book, as it wasn't just me reading to my daughter; she had to make up part of the story too.
Since Mudkin speaks in muddy squiggles, we made guesses as to what she sounds like (Peapod deemed Mudkin a girl; no basis other than she's three, and she wants most things to be girls like she is). I would make the muddiest, squishiest sounds I could think of. Then we would try to guess what Mudkin had said.
This was a great "conversation" book, as it wasn't just me reading to my daughter; she had to make up part of the story too.
Read
January 5, 2012"Rain's gone... your queen commands that we all go out and PLAY!" And play is just what the splash-master Stephen Gammell does in his latest book, as imaginative and exuberant as ever. Can you tell I'm a fan?
Update: this illustrator is a watercolor master. I'm really surprised that I haven't seen this book chatted about as a Caldecott possibility – Gammell has done some amazing work since Song and Dance Man!
Update: this illustrator is a watercolor master. I'm really surprised that I haven't seen this book chatted about as a Caldecott possibility – Gammell has done some amazing work since Song and Dance Man!
January 25, 2016
I didn't really love the illustrations on this one, so it wasn't enough to carry the lack of text.
September 3, 2018
It's very different. Read it and see. Recommended. Beautifully done.
August 21, 2014
Opening:
How many of you like to play in the mud? When I was a little girl, my brothers and I would go to the muddiest place we could find and paint mud all over ourselves and pretend we were Indians or soldiers in camouflage. Okay guys, here is our last wordless book. Quick review, what is a wordless book and why are we studying them? Yes, we are studying them to learn about inferencing and wordless books just have pictures. Let's practice really quick, looking at the picture on the front of this book, what do you think it is about? This book, Mudkin by Stephen Gamell is a special kind of wordless book, I am calling it a mostly wordless book, meaning it does have a few words to help guide us through the story. I think when we get started you will see why it was important to have those few words to help us see what was happening.
Opening Moves:
1. Prompt brief sharing of personal experiences related to the topic or theme.
2. Share a personal connection you have with the text.
3. Draw attention to the language of the text.
Rationale for Book Selection:
I decided to include Mudkin in my text set even though it has a small amount of text because I felt it would be an excellent example to students of how sometimes we need words to guide us when reading a wordless book. If there had not been the few pages with words, it would have been simply a confusing set of drawings. The small amount of text gives it purpose and structure. I wanted students to see there are varieties even within the genre of wordless books, and Mudkin is a perfect example.
Adapted Book Review Citation:
(2011, March 1). School Library Journal. http://www.booksinprint.com/DetailedV...#
How many of you like to play in the mud? When I was a little girl, my brothers and I would go to the muddiest place we could find and paint mud all over ourselves and pretend we were Indians or soldiers in camouflage. Okay guys, here is our last wordless book. Quick review, what is a wordless book and why are we studying them? Yes, we are studying them to learn about inferencing and wordless books just have pictures. Let's practice really quick, looking at the picture on the front of this book, what do you think it is about? This book, Mudkin by Stephen Gamell is a special kind of wordless book, I am calling it a mostly wordless book, meaning it does have a few words to help guide us through the story. I think when we get started you will see why it was important to have those few words to help us see what was happening.
Opening Moves:
1. Prompt brief sharing of personal experiences related to the topic or theme.
2. Share a personal connection you have with the text.
3. Draw attention to the language of the text.
Rationale for Book Selection:
I decided to include Mudkin in my text set even though it has a small amount of text because I felt it would be an excellent example to students of how sometimes we need words to guide us when reading a wordless book. If there had not been the few pages with words, it would have been simply a confusing set of drawings. The small amount of text gives it purpose and structure. I wanted students to see there are varieties even within the genre of wordless books, and Mudkin is a perfect example.
Adapted Book Review Citation:
(2011, March 1). School Library Journal. http://www.booksinprint.com/DetailedV...#
May 10, 2011
Another reviewer called this a "book of few words" and brought me my first chuckle of the day. That it is, that it is. I think I'd like to pinpoint when in time it was exactly that people stopped feeling the need to actually write a book. Isn't art without writing, well, art?
Allow me to give you a little gift: See the description where it starts ""Rain's gone! Time to play!" commands the queen."? There. You read the book.
Okay, let's keep it real here. The hardback, library edition of this book has exactly 28 pages. I counted 12 - TWELVE! - in the middle of the book with not one word on any of them. So, out of those 28 lovely pages there are exactly 3 - THREE! - pages with some amount of text on them.
So, yes, I get it - the pictures tell the story. Well guess what? That's what art if for. That's what painting is for. That is NOT solely what children's books are for. WORDS ARE A GREAT THING. EMBRACE THEM.
The worst thing about this is that the illustrations are close to outstanding. Love them. Love the name of the book. I would love the story is there was one I assume. But there isn't. And that pisses me off.
I can "write" a book with no words too. My dog can write a book with no words. Hell, I'm sure I can find a worm outside who can handle the job too.
This reeks of laziness to me. It reeks to "let's see just how stupid these dumb asses out there are". From the looks of it, the world's not lacking.
This gets -5 stars.
Allow me to give you a little gift: See the description where it starts ""Rain's gone! Time to play!" commands the queen."? There. You read the book.
Okay, let's keep it real here. The hardback, library edition of this book has exactly 28 pages. I counted 12 - TWELVE! - in the middle of the book with not one word on any of them. So, out of those 28 lovely pages there are exactly 3 - THREE! - pages with some amount of text on them.
So, yes, I get it - the pictures tell the story. Well guess what? That's what art if for. That's what painting is for. That is NOT solely what children's books are for. WORDS ARE A GREAT THING. EMBRACE THEM.
The worst thing about this is that the illustrations are close to outstanding. Love them. Love the name of the book. I would love the story is there was one I assume. But there isn't. And that pisses me off.
I can "write" a book with no words too. My dog can write a book with no words. Hell, I'm sure I can find a worm outside who can handle the job too.
This reeks of laziness to me. It reeks to "let's see just how stupid these dumb asses out there are". From the looks of it, the world's not lacking.
This gets -5 stars.
January 4, 2011
At first, my kids were a bit confused by Mudkin and where the story was going. This book has few words, but beautiful illustrations. It's definitely a book that was created to spark a kid's imagination - although they may need a bit of prompting to get started. Once I asked my munchkins to tell me what they thought was happening, what the little girl and Mudkin were planning, doing, or saying - the imagination pool opened up and just flowed from there. My 6 year old's impression of Mudkin was rather funny in itself. He thought the character looked like an onion head - but he loved the pages that showed his belly button. For some reason, that just made him laugh and laugh. Some fun "read and chat" points we had included:
* What if? I asked my kids what they would think if a creature suddenly formed out of a mud puddle and wanted to play with them. What would he look like? Where would they go? What would they do?
* Imaginary friends. Each of my kids have different types of imaginary play, but my 6 year old has real imaginary friends with names. We talked about his imaginary friends and what they like to do together.
* Artwork. My 10 year old daughter is quite the little artist. She devoured the pages, wondering if the artist put each mud fleck on the pages in their spot on purpose or if he flung specks of paint onto the canvas to create the muddy splotch effects.
* What if? I asked my kids what they would think if a creature suddenly formed out of a mud puddle and wanted to play with them. What would he look like? Where would they go? What would they do?
* Imaginary friends. Each of my kids have different types of imaginary play, but my 6 year old has real imaginary friends with names. We talked about his imaginary friends and what they like to do together.
* Artwork. My 10 year old daughter is quite the little artist. She devoured the pages, wondering if the artist put each mud fleck on the pages in their spot on purpose or if he flung specks of paint onto the canvas to create the muddy splotch effects.
February 9, 2011
Mudkin is a book of few words, relying on the wonderfully illustrated pictures to tell the tale of a young girl playing in the puddles after it rains. The rain is gone and the queen commands that everyone plays, well, she's not really a queen but in her imagination she meets a friendly little mud baby who creates for her a crown and a cape and takes her to the meet her subjects in the Mudkin's kingdom.
Playing in the rain puddles and the mud can be fun and the young lady takes us on a fantastical journey through the mud and the rain to meet the people that live there. The more it rains, the more people arrive to greet her and when the rain goes away, she calls it a day and returns home from her playing.
I think little children just starting to look at books would enjoy this story, with few words to discourage them, they are able to explore their imagination as they view its pages and wonder what life is like in the land of the Mudkins.
SYNOPSIS:
"Rain's gone! Time to play!" commands the queen. Well, she's not really a queen - just an ordinary girl who has an extraordinary day. She meets Mudkin, a friendly creature who whips up a robe and crown for her. Away they go to meet Her Majesty's subjects. Even if the kingdom lasts only until the next rain shower, the crown Mudkin gives her is forever.
Playing in the rain puddles and the mud can be fun and the young lady takes us on a fantastical journey through the mud and the rain to meet the people that live there. The more it rains, the more people arrive to greet her and when the rain goes away, she calls it a day and returns home from her playing.
I think little children just starting to look at books would enjoy this story, with few words to discourage them, they are able to explore their imagination as they view its pages and wonder what life is like in the land of the Mudkins.
SYNOPSIS:
"Rain's gone! Time to play!" commands the queen. Well, she's not really a queen - just an ordinary girl who has an extraordinary day. She meets Mudkin, a friendly creature who whips up a robe and crown for her. Away they go to meet Her Majesty's subjects. Even if the kingdom lasts only until the next rain shower, the crown Mudkin gives her is forever.
April 14, 2011
Grades 1-3
A little girl rushes outside with various stuffed animals to take advantage of a break in the rain, and is drawn to a mud puddle. At her queenly command, the mud rises up and transforms into a friendly brown blob. Mudkin speaks a language that only she understands, so the spare text is not so much a dialog as the girl's answers to questions that Mudkin is apparently asking. Mudkin creates a royal cape and crown for her, and takes her in a mud-formed coach to a mud-castle high on a mountain. There, she is greeted by her subjects, numerous blobby creatures, and they all enjoy a fine time together until the rain starts up again and castle, subjects, and mud-formed world are washed away. Gammell's fanciful watercolors are cheerful and suitably messy for a mud-themed story. Children may be confused when Mudkin is first introduced, since it's not immediately clear that the text on the page is only coming from the little girl and is not actually an exchange between the two characters. Once they get beyond that, though, the pictures speak for themselves and there is plenty of whimsy to carry this mostly wordless story.
A little girl rushes outside with various stuffed animals to take advantage of a break in the rain, and is drawn to a mud puddle. At her queenly command, the mud rises up and transforms into a friendly brown blob. Mudkin speaks a language that only she understands, so the spare text is not so much a dialog as the girl's answers to questions that Mudkin is apparently asking. Mudkin creates a royal cape and crown for her, and takes her in a mud-formed coach to a mud-castle high on a mountain. There, she is greeted by her subjects, numerous blobby creatures, and they all enjoy a fine time together until the rain starts up again and castle, subjects, and mud-formed world are washed away. Gammell's fanciful watercolors are cheerful and suitably messy for a mud-themed story. Children may be confused when Mudkin is first introduced, since it's not immediately clear that the text on the page is only coming from the little girl and is not actually an exchange between the two characters. Once they get beyond that, though, the pictures speak for themselves and there is plenty of whimsy to carry this mostly wordless story.
December 19, 2011
A reader has to muddle through this story (pun intended). A young girl goes out to play with her toys after a rainstorm. She pretends to interact with mudpeople who ask her to be her queen. There are clues throughout the story that suggest they are real and then again, that she is pretending. The watercolor drawings are very messy and sort of look like abstract, contemporary art and that likely will deter children from figuring out the story. Upon asking a six year old girl to take a look, she made it halfway through, pronounced it to be “really weird” and abandoned it altogether. This is definitely a book that a caregiver would have to read with their child, discussing the pictures and figuring out what every page is saying. The splashes of color seen in the stuffed animal and the blue of the girl’s dress provide a respite from the dreary browns and blacks of Mudville. A common theme for children’s books is playing in the mud is fun, but despite the girl’s bestowed queen status, this doesn’t look like fun. Not recommended for a public library (even if Mr. Gammel is a Caldecott winner). This book does not stimulate imagination in young readers the way it potentially could.
February 7, 2015
Mudkin by Stephen Gammell was a drab book. This book follows a little girl who decides to go out a play in the mud and becomes the queen of an imaginary land of mud people. It was rather boring and had no real climax, problem, or solution. The book is a nearly wordless picture book, and I think that that may be its downfall.
The pictures this book relies on to tell the story are beautiful, but they are a little to abstract for a nearly wordless picture book. The watercolor does not give a nice and easy to read feel to the illustrations. Since the pictures are not crisp and easy to distinguish, it makes the storyline hard to follow. This would be especially true for a child.
Even if the pictures would have been done better, there would still be a huge problem with the storyline itself. The book really has no substance to it. There is not a problem or a solution, or even a climax for that matter. The book kind of flatlines once the little girl imagines up Mudkin and ends kind of abruptly and sadly. The little girl also has no character development to her whatsoever. She expresses little emotion and it bothers me.
The pictures this book relies on to tell the story are beautiful, but they are a little to abstract for a nearly wordless picture book. The watercolor does not give a nice and easy to read feel to the illustrations. Since the pictures are not crisp and easy to distinguish, it makes the storyline hard to follow. This would be especially true for a child.
Even if the pictures would have been done better, there would still be a huge problem with the storyline itself. The book really has no substance to it. There is not a problem or a solution, or even a climax for that matter. The book kind of flatlines once the little girl imagines up Mudkin and ends kind of abruptly and sadly. The little girl also has no character development to her whatsoever. She expresses little emotion and it bothers me.
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