Mrs. Toggle's Zipper

When Mrs. Toggle's zipper sticks and traps her inside her coat, everyone in the school tries to free her but with little success.

PreSchool-Grade 2-- To readers or listeners who can accept the premise that a teacher would believe she could be pulled out of a zipped-up winter coat by having her students, the nurse, and the principal tug on her arms, legs, and head, this book may be mildly funny. Making the situational humor rather heavy and obvious are the names--the nitwit nurse is Mrs. Schott; the fussy principal is Mr. Stickler; and the calm custodian, who solves the problem with his needle-nose pliers, is Mr. Abel. A lively writing style; funny, action-filled illustrations in an interesting variety of sizes and arrangements; and a crisp, clear typeface help redeem the improbable plot. Bright watercolors of Mrs. Toggle show her trapped in her fuschia padded jacket and trailed by her anxious class as she is lectured and tossed about by would-be rescuers who exhibit a cheerful cartoonlike charm. The multiethnic children and the adults are all winningly diminutive, round, and animated, resulting in a satisfactory visual experience. --Patricia Pearl, First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Pulver's first picture book--a funny, slightly subversive story--concerns Mrs. Toggle, a teacher who arrives in class wearing her big fuschia-colored winter coat. It seems that the zipper is stuck and she can't take her coat off; even worse, the "thingamajig"--the device used to pull the zipper up and down--is lost. When her concerned students try to help, "everybody landed, with thuds and bumps, in a heap on the floor." All report to the nurse, Mrs. Schott, for help, but she can't solve the problem and the officious principal, Mr. Stickler, is called in. He in turn summons Mr. Abel, the custodian, who has the vocabulary to describe the "thingamajig" (even if he has to invent a word), and the needle-nose pliers to rescue the overheated Mrs. Toggle. With their reassuringly familiar character types, Alley's ( The Clever Carpenter ) energetic, simple watercolors complement the witty tale perfectly. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.