The Weeds & the Weather - Hardcover

Grade 1-3-Mrs. Weed, a former teacher; her cat, Clover; and Pocket, her dog, enjoy the same routine every day. Walking through the neighborhood, listening to the weather on the radio, housework, and meals fill their quiet hours. Four chapters cover each of the seasons as Clover watches Mrs. Weed and Pocket dress for the changing weather and set out for their walks. Each chapter also tells of an unexpected event-spring flowers delivered for Mrs. Weed's birthday, a big dog running loose in a summer rainstorm, a tree blown down in the fall wind, and a blizzard. This quiet story struggles to sustain readers' interest and attention. The cozy catalog of daily activities, although lyrical and full of lovely images, will not appeal to young children. Changes in the weather are a clever vehicle that doesn't go anywhere. Watson's charming, detailed watercolor illustrations decorate each page. Clover and Pocket are two adorable pets and Mrs. Weed is a stern but kindly old lady, yet something is missing here; Mrs. Weed is not Miss Rumphius. Readers never really get to know the characters-they only peek at their simple lives. A peaceful tale that slips into the mundane.
Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Unlike the weather, for which the forecast is often amusingly wrong in this pleasant early chapter book, the routines enjoyed by gray-haired Mrs. Weed and her cat Clover (``plump and proud'') and dog Pocket (``little and lighthearted'') are comfortably predictable--different seasons and times of day cause only small modifications in their ritual walks and snacks, while such happenings as a spring bouquet from Mrs. Weed's former students (now grown), or minor vicissitudes like a tree, blown down in a fall storm, blocking the front door, are momentary diversions. Watson's precise illustrations, as cozy as the neatly honed text, nicely enhance the contrast between Mrs. Weed's tidy home and the little occurrences that add interest to her placid days. Quiet, beautifully crafted, a book that glows with the simple pleasures afforded by the unexpected in an orderly world. (Young reader. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.