A Squash and a Squeeze {What We’re Reading}

We are big Julia Donaldson fans in this house – Room on the Broom and the Gruffalo regularly feature in Rosalie’s bedtime routine. But this week we have been reading A Squash and a Squeeze, which Rosalie was given for Christmas by Granny and Grandad.

The story is about a little old lady who is grumbling because her house is too small, and seeks the advice of a wise old man…

The wise old man says “take in your hen“, which the little old lady thinks is a most curious plan. But she does as he says, and not surprisingly the hen is a bit of a liability.

“Wise old man, won’t you help me, please? My house is a squash and a squeeze.” Naturally, the wise old man suggests she takes in her goat…

I love Axel Scheffler’s illustrations – they are simple and bold, yet seem to convey the story so well – this man actually does look wise, don’t you think? And the animals appear to have personalities of their own.

“It was tiny for two and it’s titchy for three” exclaims the poor little lady. So, as recommended by her wise old pal, she fetches her pig…

Then her cow…

By now her house really is a squash and a squeeze!

Quite trustingly (I think I’d have found a new wise old man by now) she re-visits her knowledgeable friend, who tells her to take all the animals back out. Dutifully the little old lady shoos and shoves the animals out until her house feels enormous.

It makes sense really – if your house seems too small, simply invite the local farmyard animals for a visit, then when you get rid of them you’ll be amazed at how much space you have! I’ll let you try it out first…

The actual story, and the moral, are of course too advanced for Rosalie at only 13 months old, but she loves the pace of the Julia Donaldson books, and the repetition makes it seem a little less long, thus holding her attention.

I think this is a book we will be enjoying together for many years to come.