Millie and Cupcake
Mildred Potash
Tour Post
REVIEW ONE
This is a sweet, simple tale of a girl determined to have a pet. When she is denied a puppy, luck favors her by putting a rat in her path. Told in easy to understand language suitable for the target audience of preschool and beginning readers. It is engaging enough to lure the youngster to explore the story further on their own, and has a gentle lesson that parents can appreciate: Be kind, be responsible, and pets can be friends as well.
For me, there was a minor glitch between the first page and the rest of the story, as there was an abrupt shift from the introduction to the actual story, but that is soon forgotten as the tale unfolds.
Even though this is written for the younger readers, the characters are presented in a realistic manner, and have some depth to them. They are not so complex that a new reader will become lost, but enough to prevent parents reading it to their youngsters feel as if the story is a waste of their time. The pace has the same type of delicate balance – easy going enough the younger readers can remain captivated, yet fast enough older readers shouldn’t become bored with the story.
Because of the lessons included within these pages, the fact that there is character development should be no surprise. Millie, the young girl who stars in this book, edges out of the persistence that is often associated with preschoolers into a slightly more mature kindergartner smoothly and believably. (Even down to to the hiding her actions because she thinks its against her parent’s wishes.)
Over all, this is definitely a book I think anyone with a youngster should have. A hearty five out of five stars from me. (I wonder if four-legged, furry children count?)
K. Caffee
For TJs Virtual Book Tours
REVIEW TWO
My kids loved, loved, loved this book! My daughter is six and my son is four. I started by reading it to them at the same time and they were fascinated by this story. I had to reread it twice. I read it to each of them separately and again got requests to read it over again. The art work is nice and age appropriate with scenes that my kids could understand when they looked at it. They were thoroughly entertained by the idea of a pet rat and were excited at the end when there were babies. The opening of the book seemed slightly out of place to me but did not bother them at all. They couldn’t wait to see what was in the closet. They were so happy when Millie got to keep her pet and talked about it the next day when I asked them if they liked the book I had read. I will at admit that at first the idea of a pet rat seemed a little strange but the more I read it the more that it really doesn’t matter what type of pet Millie has. What matters is that she took care of it and loved it properly, and that is what sticks with my kids the most.
B. Mulder
For TJs Virtual Book Tours
REVIEW THREE
I was drawn to the book because of the illustrations and the story line. I was curious to see who Cupcake turned out to be in the story and enjoyed that the story ended up being about Millie and her pet rat. While the book does not refer to information on the rat, the blurb talks about how the author wants to share how rats are clean and trainable. Unfortunately, I did not get that from the book.
The vocabulary seems quite consistent regarding a specific level of reading, except for the inclusion of the word “responsibility.” While the illustrations are superb, I was not fond of the one that separated Saratoga from New York with a jagged line, since New York had not been mentioned yet at this point.
There are some issues that cause some concern for me. For example, the mixing of verb tenses, within sentences and throughout the book, is disconcerting. The mixture of pronouns in some of the sentences also could be confusing. Also unclear is the show-and-tell that Millie participates in at school: The illustration shows that Millie takes Cupcake to school, and yet the text does not support this.
The point in the story when Millie’s parents tell her that they know she has a rat as a pet would be a good place to share information about how rats are clean and trainable.
With some revision work and editing, this could become a sweet book for youngsters.
J. Doran
For TJs Virtual Book Tours
REVIEW FOUR
This is a cute story about a little girl who wants a pet of her own very badly and the little critter that befriends her. The illustrations make the story even better. It is a decent book to read to young children.
M. Clark
For TJs Virtual Book Tours
REVIEW FIVE
“Millie and Cupcake” is a delightful children’s book that teaches children and their parents the value of caring for a pet. Millie wants a puppy but her parents feel she is too young to have one. On moving to New York fate takes a hand and Millie’s dream comes true. Hearing a noise in her closet she discovers a black and white rat. She names her Cupcake and the adventure begins. Opting to keep it a secret from her parents, Millie cares for Cupcake herself. It is only when she introduces Cupcake to her class for show and tell that the truth comes out. This is a wonderful little book about responsibility and love. My 5-year old granddaughter inherited a bearded dragon from her adult cousin and loves him as much as her dog Scout. Children are not restricted by adult preconceptions and the adorable Millie is a perfect example of how children are often more accepting than their parents.
E. Horton-Newton
For TJs Virtual Book Tours
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