THE WONDERFUL MRS. TRUMBLY

by Sally Whittman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1982

Mrs. Trumbly, Martin's second-grade teacher, is a plump, pleasant grandmotherly type who ""knew how to make you feel good, even when you'd done something dumb."" At first the other boys tease Martin for liking her, but after she spends a rainy recess with them making a ""blizzard of [paper airplane] jets"" in the classroom, they all like her. But Martin's attachment is special, so he is increasingly unhappy when she becomes chummy with Mr. Klein, the music teacher. ""How can Mrs. Trumbly be my best friend if she spends all of her time with Mr. Klein?"" he wonders. Margot Apple is good at conveying feeling with a light touch, and her drawings help maintain the balance of bittersweet humor--as Martin feels, in turn, hurt about being left out and gratified when the thoughtful Mrs. T. sends him a special word or thanks him for his little gifts. His last gift, fittingly, is a bride-and-groom statue for the top of the Trumbly-Klein wedding cake; she gives him an extra icing rose when she serves the cake at her backyard wedding reception the day after school ends. A nice empathic treatment, in words and pictures that work easily together.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1982

Categories: CHILDREN'S