Miss Muffet, or What Came After

by Marilyn Singer (Author) David Litchfield (Illustrator)

Miss Muffet, or What Came After
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

From an award-winning poet, a hilarious picture book in verse that chronicles the adventures of Miss Muffet and her spider friend, Webster, after the whole tuffet episode.


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Publishers Weekly

It's possible to turn a four-line nursery rhyme into an elaborate period verse drama--Singer (Echo Echo) proves it, framing this elegant makeover as a theatrical production, complete with stage directions and musical numbers. Mrs. Muffet wants daughter Patience to be more ladylike, her husband wishes she shared his passion for etymology, but Patience dreams of playing the violin. The famous meeting on the tuffet startles Patience, but Webster the spider proves an unexpected ally. The two leave home, form a trio with Bo-Peep (an aspiring fiddler), foil a pair of thieves ("Prepare yourselves to meet your enemy," Webster threatens, "You will find me rather venomy"), and finish with an impromptu performance for King Cole. Faced with a plethora of characters with speaking lines (and quite a few lines at that), Litchfield (The Bear and the Piano) keeps the cast straight and the action easy to read, and his rich, mixed-media illustrations and period costumes strike the right light-opera note. Webster and Patience are engaging heroes, and Singer's verse sparkles. Ages 6-9. Illustrator's agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Group. (Sept.)

Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3--Many have thought that poor little Miss Muffet was the sad and dainty victim of a wayward spider. Well, there's much more to her story than curds and whey and running away. Patience Muffet is tired of being asked to conform to society's norms. She is not interested in fancy clothes or arranging flowers, like her mother, nor is she interested in identifying insects, like her father. Her ambition is to master the fiddle. This greatly displeases her mother, and life becomes so miserable that Patience runs away, accompanied by none other than the spider himself! They encounter many adventures and intriguing characters during their journey to find freedom and achievement. Does Patience accomplish her goals and break the mold, or does she return to her expected role? Written as a screenplay for a musical, this picture book is very different in format and compelling. Geared toward older children, this selection would be more easily performed or enjoyed alone, rather than used as a read-aloud. There are many facets to delve into and explore. There is the meat of the story, beautifully told in verse, as well as a musical narration by a trio of observers. In addition, there are stage notes in text boxes that set the scene and conversational text in speech bubbles. All of these elements come together on each page to create a narrative that brims with life. The illustrations, rendered in mixed media, are as intriguing and diverse as the text. VERDICT A richly complex fractured fairly tale well suited for classroom sharing, performance, or readers' theater.--Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"There is the meat of the story, beautifully told in verse, as well as a musical narration by a trio of observers. In addition, there are stage notes in text boxes that set the scene and conversational text in speech bubbles. All of these elements come together on each page to create a narrative that brims with life... A richly complex fractured fairly tale well suited for classroom sharing, performance, or readers' theater."
—School Library Journal

"Serious fun whether read or performed."
—Kirkus
Marilyn Singer
Marilyn Singer is the author of more than ninety books for young poeple, including Tallulah's Tutu and Mirror, Mirror. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her website at www.marilynsinger.net.

LeUyen Pham is a New York Times best-selling illustrator who has created many books for children. She lives with her family in San Francisco, California. You can visit her online at www.leuyenpham.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780547905662
Lexile Measure
530
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
September 20, 2016
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002140 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Insects, Spiders, etc.
JUV031040 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Music
JUV012040 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | Adaptations
JUV055000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nursery Rhymes
Library of Congress categories
Characters in literature
Characters and characteristics in literature
Stories in rhyme
Spiders
Musicians
Self-actualization (Psychology)
Violin
JUVENILE FICTION / Fairy Tales & Folklore / A
JUVENILE FICTION / Imagination & Play
JUVENILE FICTION / Performing Arts / General
JUVENILE FICTION / Nursery Rhymes
JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Insects, Spiders
JUVENILE NONFICTION / Poetry / Humorous

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