GARLANDA: The Ups and Downs of an Uppity Teapot

by Penny Pollock ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 26, 1981

An old-fashioned-flavored, treacle-based tale, of the sort that relates the passive chance adventures of an inanimate object. Garlanda is a teapot, the masterwork of a shy old potter who charges her with the mission of bringing love to someone--which he himself has been unable to do. Snobbish Garlanda feels destined for a high place; but she is scorned by her first owner, a Lord's tomboy daughter (""Thank you, Father. But I'd rather work with horse liniment than tea"") and relegated to the cellar--then stolen and passed on by the beer-drinking burglar to his straggly-haired mate Amanda, who outrageously fills Garlands with coffee. Now one might suppose that Amanda if anyone could use a loving friend; but Garlanda's journey is not over. After a season of abuse, she's sold to an antique shop and later put out with the garbage. . . before ending up in the original potter's home, now inherited by the man's artist nephew and his crippled twelve-year-old daughter. There the now-cracked and faded teapot is at last fulfilled, with tea and love. As the story progresses, readers must accustom themselves to the notion of a teapot experiencing stomach aches, headaches, and, when happy, a tingling feeling in her handle. For the susceptible few who don't find all this too precious, Tomes' drawings and the modest (6"" x 7 3/4"") format reinforce the intended note of cozy charm.

Pub Date: Nov. 26, 1981

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1981

Categories: FICTION