The Squeaky Door

I admit to being astonished that no one's done a review of this marvelous picture book yet. The Squeaky Door is a delightful addition to the collection of folktales from around the world that have been put into picture book form by the remarkable Margaret Read MacDonald.It is also one of the best read-alouds I have discovered this year. Ms. MacDonald is a storyteller and folklorist as well as an author, and many of her stories come from those she has heard and told over the years.The framework of the tale is simple. Little Boy is staying over Grandmas, and gets to sleep in the big brass bed by himself. But all it takes is aformentioned squeaky door to ruin a good night's sleep. Grandma tries to help by bringing various animals in to stay in the bed with him. First the cat, then the dog, then the pig and finally, the horse. This growing menagerie finally overloads the bed--and it breaks. And Grandma finally takes care of that squeaky door. What makes this work so well, is the magic of the words. Everything is written to be read aloud and easily falls into a rythym that the audience will catch onto quickly. Most lines are repeated several times throughout the book, guaranteeing that children can join in with the words after the first or second repetition. As the title says, the book sings--even a reader not particularly adept at reading books aloud should be able to read this without too much trouble. The words remain fairly simple, and the story straight forward, but hilarious. It's a good read for children 3 to 6 years old. For older children, the best approach may be asking them to join in on Little Boy's responses to Grandma each time.Then there are the pictures created by Mary Newell DePalma. The pictures are crafted to complement the text, with smaller images being placed on the pages with text and full page illustrations used for the sound effects of the door squeaking or the noises of Little Boy and the various animals. The illustrations for the door squeak gradually get larger and larger until they overtake the entire two page spread by the end. The pictures really add to the overall mood of the story and the hilarity of so many animals in the bed with Little Boy. While a large audience will appreciate what's going on, they may miss some of the more amusing details that an up close read reveal. My particular favorite is the cat tucked into bed with an eye mask on, but the horse in pyjamas is worth a chuckle too. Overall, this is a book with images that can work for a large audience, but can offer a one-on-one reader the advantage of discoveries with closer inspection.For parents, librarians and teachers with young children to read to, I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is likely best for the 3 to 6 age group as it's a bit long for younger children and may not keep the attention of older children as well. If you like this picture book, you may want to check out "Little Rooster's Diamond Button" and "Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur!" also folktales retold by Margaret Read MacDonald. Here's hoping this book finds it's way into many bookshelves in the future!Happy Reading!^_^ Shanshad

My (not yet) 2 year old son LOVES this book. He brings it (as he does a few other favorites) to us and asks for it to be read aloud to him. When we do, he completes the narration with "No, not ME!", "YES, YES, YES!" or "Squeeeeeeeeeak". He enjoys reading the book and so do we!The one downside for us is that the book is fairly long to hold his interest and he wanders off midway to fetch his other favorites. But I guess he would sit through it once he is a bit older. Also, he was not very interested in it in the beginning, but as I kept reading it, it grew on him.The pictures are nice (there are other elements like toys on the floor, clothes, etc to keep things interesting for the kids), the story is well narrated and the sounds are a lot more fun when your toddler recites them. I would recommend this book for any toddler that can sit through a few pages.

We love this story so much! Bought this for my son years ago and he now reads it to his classmates and his baby brother. His teacher even said she loved it so much she was going to buy it. This purchase was for a gift this time for a new grandmother. Perfect gift for anyone with little ones staying overnight.

This is one of my favorite children’s book. This edition is a little different than the one I checked out at the library, so I was a little disappointed at first, but my 4 year old grandson continues to get a good laugh.

This is a cute story and wonderful illustrations. I bought it for a 1st grade child and she loves it! have read it to her many times. You also make it interactive.

I love this book. It is fun to read to preschool children. They love it as well.

Loved this fun children's story. "No not me!" is a great little interactive phrase for reader and listeners!

Excellent book, so well written. It has fun sounds and repetition for kids. It is a new favorite.