Mess Pets - Hardcover

McElmurry, Jill

3.73

11 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1587171740 ISBN 13: 9781587171741

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2002

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Hannah and Hilary are two sisters who just can't agree. Hannah revels in dirty clothes and jumbled heaps while Hilary has a place for everything. But when a furry, fun-loving creature grows from the depths of Hannah's mess, a jealous Hilary steals some of her sister's gooey gobs to create a fabulous "mess pet" of her own.

Jill McElmurry's hilarious tale of two quibbling siblings and two peculiar pets takes off to a wild world where sloppy Peanut Butter and Jelly trees grow in the shadow of Dust Bunny Mountain—and where a sweet surprise and an important lesson await. Kids will adore this outrageously imaginative, unforgettable quest!

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About the Author:

Jill McElmurry has also illustrated Mad About Plaid, I'm Small and Other Verses, and The Kettles Get New Clothes. She lives in Takoma Park, Maryland.

From Publishers Weekly:

They may share genes and a bedroom, but twins Hilary and Hannah are polar opposites when it comes to cleanliness. This antagonistic, Oscar-and-Felix-style relationship is the genesis of a wacky fantasy about a room so messy it grows things namely, mess pets. Hannah, Hannah, garbage canna,/ fell in love with a rotten banana!/ When we asked her, How's it smell? / she said, I like it very well! taunts tidy Hilary. Plucked from the playground, McElmurry's verse rollickingly reflects the contrasting pair sometimes neat and tidy, and sometimes with nary a rhyme in sight. After setting up the conflict, McElmurry cuts loose her imagination (as she did so well in her debut book, Mad About Plaid); rather garish illustrations convey Hannah's chaotic half of the room, which spawns a fantastical, mess-loving dog. Envious, Hilary borrows some of the mess to conjure up her own cat, which then squabbles with the dog and leads the foursome into further adventures in a delightfully vile place called Mess World. There, McElmurry's funky, gouache paintings in psychedelic shades exude good humor as she portrays icky landmarks such as Spilled Milk Lagoon and Dust Bunny Mountain, inhabited by sneezing rabbits. While the freewheeling plot and busy illustrations may make some younger heads spin, those who can follow along are in for a fun ride. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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