MY BROTHER LOUIS MEASURES WORMS: And Other Louis Stories

by Barbara Robinson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1988

From the author of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a series of stories in a similarly humorous vein, centered on a midwestern family that has a singular problem with communication. As told by Mary Elizabeth, about two years older than the title character (who is seven), the stories also concern the family's earnest but off-center mother (who verges on being a stereotypical housewife) and their usually puzzled and frustrated father. In fact, these two are the main characters in most of the stories, with their continual misunderstandings fueling the plots--Mother trying to explain, and Dad, frustrated by how long it takes her to get to the point, cutting her off before he grasps it. In the resulting confusion, they go to a funeral for a relative who is still alive; push a visiting child into the family reunion photo without realizing that he's a stranger; and tell Mary Elizabeth that her name was Marcella on her birth certificate, causing a major identity crisis. Told with the fine deadpan humor that served so well in Robinson's earlier hit, these stories come across as rather slick memories typical of women's magazine stories or situation comedy; nonetheless, they are eminently readable and should entertain older children.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1988

ISBN: 0060766727

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988

Categories: CHILDREN'S