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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Salem Main Library | JP Geoghegan | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Library | PRE FIC GEO | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Nanny Needles usually lies in bed all day knitting. But one day she wakes up feeling quite energetic. So she hops out of bed and begins cleaning, cooking, and tidying up. Poor Seymour, her dog, isn't used to all this activity. Now he seems to be always underfoot -- causing one disaster after another. Finally Nanny Needles insists that Seymour must need glasses. Although the eye doctor claims Seymour's eyes are just fine -- his wonderful new glasses do seem to solve someone else's problem!
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1Nanny Needles puts down her knitting and, with an uncharacteristic burst of energy, embarks on a cleaning frenzy. When she gets into a tangle or dumps trash on the floor, she blames her dog, Seymour, for the strange mix-ups. After determining that his fur-covered eyes are to blame, Nanny gives him a close haircut hoping to eliminate the mayhem. Poor Seymour hides to escape further mutilation, but the sound of food preparation lures him into the kitchen. Amazingly, Nanny feeds the pup her dinner on a china plate while she sits down to the dog's bowl. Next, she hustles her pet off to the eye doctor. Seymour passes an eye test, but the woman insists he must have glasses. She dons them so he "can see how smart they look" and finds that her surroundings have become "big and bright and wonderful!" This title is filled with all the absurdity that children love. Although busy, Geoghegan's illustrations truly depict the events. Whimsical exaggerations of people, pets, garbage, clothing, and food lend a cartoonlike quality to the artwork.Susan Garland, Maynard Public Library, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Geoghegan's first book has a thought-provoking title, wittily presented as an eye chart. Yet the awkward illustrations don't recommend this tale of a nearsighted woman. Nanny Needles doesn't want to admit that her eyesight is failing, so she blames her mistakes on her hapless hound, Seymour. She empties the garbage on top of Seymour, then scolds him for sitting too close to the can. She even shaves the top of the dog's head to keep his hair out of his eyesbut nothing does the trick. Geoghegan counts on readers' enjoyment of silly situations and provides a shameless punch line: "I think you need [your eyes] tested so you can see more, Seymour." Unfortunately, her palette of clashing colors is as unappealing as the moment Nanny mistakenly eats Seymour's bowl of "Beef and Liver for Healthy Dogs." The author sketches in a crayony black medium, then watercolors over the waxy surface for an unavoidably sloppy effect. Only one illustrationof Seymour barking out letters at the optometrist'sis sufficiently free of clutter to demonstrate Geoghegan's sense of humor. Ages 3-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Nanny Needles blames her hapless hound, Seymour, for the silly mistakes that cause chaos in their household. When she tries on Seymour's new glasses, however, she discovers what readers already know: her own vision has been the problem all along. Large cartoonlike illustrations filled with color and movement complement the comic tale. From HORN BOOK 1996, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Nanny Needles, readers discover in the pictures, needs glasses, but she places the blame for all the accidents around the house on her poor dog: When she dumps the trash on the floor, Seymour is reprimanded for his clumsiness; when she washes his blanket and bones instead of the laundry, she decides that Seymour needs a haircut to improve his eyesight. Finally, Seymour is dragged to the doctor, for glasses; the doctor reluctantly obliges. Nanny, donning the spectacles just ``to see how they look,'' discovers that they make things look much better. Geoghegan's debut makes good use of understatement and deadpan in the text to contrast with the events in the bright, bucolic crayon and watercolor pictures. Seymour, who resembles a bull terrier, is the epitome of woman's best, all-suffering friend. For preschoolers, satisfying silliness. (Picture book. 3-5)
Booklist Review
Ages 4^-6. When Nanny Needle's eyesight starts to fail, she attributes various household mishaps to her dog, Seymour, and decides that he needs glasses. Nanny takes him to the eye doctor, who humors her by giving Seymour an eye test and a pair of specs. Back at home, Nanny tries on the glasses and finds to her delight that everything suddenly looks big and bright and wonderful--including the long-suffering Seymour, whose ample owner declares that he needs to diet. Bright and lively, the crayon-and-watercolor illustrations make the most of each wacky situation. A funny picture book well suited to reading aloud, especially since young children like their humor on the silly side. --Carolyn Phelan