I discovered Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle at the age of 12. I fell in love with her, and I am now reading these stories to my 4- and 6- year-old sons.
There are four books in the series by Betty MacDonald: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Hello Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Farm, and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Magic.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a wonderful friend to children and parents. She knows just how children like to be treated, and she knows just how to treat the common childhood ailments — afflictions that turn good kids into Answer-Backers, Showoffs, Crybabies, Interrupters, Fraidy-Cats, or Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Takers. She also knows how to deal with other problems, like kids who won’t pick up toys, don’t want to take baths, or won’t go to bed.
The cures for these problems are quirky, funny, and very appropriate. The Won’t Take a Bath cure, for instance, is completed when Patsy wakes up one morning to discover little radishes growing in the dirt on her arms!
Every kid should get to know Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and every parent should become her friend. These are great read-aloud books, and I’ve found, since introducing my kids to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, that she’s an effective discipline tool. “What would Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle do to help you with this problem?” is now a favorite question at our house.