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.
8 Comments
Vickie Rich
February 3, 2015 at 4:07 pmSquash and a Squeeze is a favourite of ours too. I know that Julia Donaldson has collaborated with a lot of illustrators but Axel Scheffler is definitely the best as far a we're concerned. π
Carie
February 3, 2015 at 9:56 pmIt was one of our gateway Julia Donaldson stories back when Kitty was little and it's still one of my favourites, and has entered the family lexicon – if H ever jokes that the house is becoming overrun by childhood clobber all I have to say is "take in your hen!". But the big question is, does your old lady have a 'voice'? Ours is from Yorkshire but my colleague's family's is Scottish!!
Jess Eliot
February 4, 2015 at 8:33 pmGood to hear Vickie π
Jess Eliot
February 4, 2015 at 8:35 pmThat's great! I can see this happening in our house too as our family grows π Our old lady is from the west country!
ninaspersonalspace
February 4, 2015 at 10:45 pmWhat fab illustration ! Looks like a great book #whatweread π
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Katy F
February 6, 2015 at 9:50 amI love this book, I need to do it for my house as I am always complaining that it is too small!! lol!
Jess Eliot
February 9, 2015 at 3:04 pmThanks Nina, it really is a good one π
Jess Eliot
February 9, 2015 at 3:05 pmGood one Katy! Let me know how that goes π x