PlayhouseBy Robert Munsch
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko.
Scholastic 2002
The Playhouse Story
Rene lives on a farm. (In real life she lives on a farm in Saskatchewan). One day she asks her father for a playhouse. So Rene's dad makes her a play house. It had an upstairs and a downstairs, real windows and a slide and a ladder.
The next day Rene moved lots of stuff from her real bedroom into the playhouse. She even painted fish on the walls just like in her real bedroom.
After a month, Rene got bored so she asked for a play barn. Her mother made her a play barn. It took 2 weeks. Then Rene moved some chickens from the real barn into her play barn. Next Rene asked for a play cow. Her father painted a goat to look like a cow and that was Rene's play cow.
Then Rene went to her father and asked him to park the log chopper, the tree snipper the bulldozer and the tractor right next to her play barn to make it look like a real farm. Rene was very happy for a whole month.
After a while, Rene got bored again. Rene decided she wanted someone to play with. So she asked her mother to make her a play mommy and a play daddy.
A play what? asked her mother.
A play mommy and a play daddy, said Rene.
Her mother said why dont you play with the real ones?
Rene said the real ones were all too bossy. Rene's mother said No.
So Rene made a play mom and a play dad and she made play brothers as well.
When she came into the house for dinner, there was a scarecrow sitting in her chair.
What's this in my chair, asked Rene.
That is my play Rene, said her mother. She is very nice and never bossy.
You can eat food in the playhouse with your play mommy and your play daddy.
Rene took the play Rene and went outside. She gave the play Rene to the goat (who was pretending to be a cow) to eat. Then Rene went back inside and kissed her mom.
Was that a real kiss or a play kiss? asked her mother
That, said Rene, was a real kiss, from a bossy daughter for a real bossy mommy. Now can I have a real dinner with my real family?
No problem, said her mother. I like real bossy kids better than play kids anyway.
And they all had a real great dinner.
This is my final book for the Single Author Challenge of the 2nd Canadian Book Challenge. I am trying to fit in ONE last genre for this Challenge - the ABM Challenge - Canadian Autobiographies, Biographies and Memoirs.
3 comments:
26 down! (Impressive!)
I've been meaning to ask about the illustrations. While obviously most of his books have been collaborations with Michael Martchenko, he has worked with others (Alan and Lea Daniels, Vladyan Krykorka, Sheila McGraw, Janet Wilson and others). Do you have a favourite?
I'm gonna says that Michael Martchenko is my favourite, simply because he did most of the books I read and reviewed.
The inside joke is that every now and then, characters from other Munsch books show up in the one you are reading.
The girl from the smelly socks for example, also shows up in I'm so embarrassed. Not as a main character but just drawn in the background - with socks. LOL
There are 5 Munsch books that I did not review. Of these 5 - 4 of them were illustrated by Michael Martchenko. The Fire Station, The Paperbag Princess, Zoom and I'm So Embarrassed. The one Munsch book I have - that also was not reviewed - is Aarons Hair. This book was illustrated by Alan and Lea Daniel. I have no experience of any other illustrators.
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