Review Mr. Peabody's Apples

Mr. Peabody's Apples

by Madonna, Loren Long

Mr. Peabody's Apples takes place in 1949 in Happville, USA. One Saturday, Mr. Peabody, the beloved elementary school teacher and baseball coach, finds himself all alone on the baseball field. He wonders where everybody is until he sees the bat boy, Billy Little, walking toward him with a sad look on his face. Billy tells him that another student, Tommy Tittlebottom, spread a rumor that Mr. Peabody was a thief after Tommy saw Mr. Peabody taking apples twice from the local market.

Mr. Peabody then shows Tommy that what matters is the truth-not how things appear -and teaches him an unforgettable lesson about how we must choose our words carefully to avoid causing harm to others.

Madonna dedicates Mr. Peabody's Apples to teachers everywhere.

Callaway 2003

Saya: Sebiji apel dpt mengajarkan anak2 untuk menjadi kreatif dan tidak putus asa...mereka juga bisa menularkanx pd temen2 yg lain.

Nia: Kisah yang didapat Madonna dari ajaran yang dianutnya, Kaballah. Bahwa "Bagaimana kita harus memilih kata-kata itu dengan hati-hati agar tidak menyakiti sesama kita"

Daisy: this book has a very important meaning to it: "if you want to spread a rumour, make sure you know the whole story, because it can really hurt someones feelings" i encourage as many yr 7s to read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this book has a very important meaning to it: "if you want to spread a rumour, make sure you know the whole story, because it can really hurt someones feelings" I encourage as many yr 7s to read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whitnie: I Love this book! It has such a good lesson that goes along with the story. It is interesting and clever. I really enjoyed the illustations also. Loren Long does a great job at putting a lot of detail in the characters and making the pictures so colorful and vibrant. Who knew Madonna was a great musician AND children's liturature write? I really enjoyed the names of the characters like Tommy Tittlebottom and Mr funkadeli. I think this book is fun for kids of all ages and has a great message that kids can learn a lot from.

Becky: Mr Peabody's Apples generally makes more sense from a storytelling standpoint and from a children's marketing standpoint than Madonna's first "children's book," The English Roses, which I thought was a mess.

The message of Mr. Peabody's Apples, isn't quite what Madonna and the publicists would have you believe. It isn't so much about "the power of words" and choosing one's words carefully, as it is about not jumping to conclusions and the destructive power of rumors. It's a message related to "the power of words," sure, but if Madonna is so bent on teaching lessons, shouldn't somebody be taking care to make sure the flap copy is more accurate about what lesson is being taught? Lessons in children's books = argh.

Apart from that, the parenthetical asides have got to go. The repetition isn't cute and isn't working. The tone shifts ("Mr. Funkadeli"?) have really got to go. Also, the two separate characters of Tommy and Billy aren't needed. A real writer would have had all the conflict come through Billy.

If one can overlook its flaws, this is a simple story with characters that are more satisfying than the ones in Madonna's last book. Gentle, reasonable Mr. Peabody is especially appealing. The way in which the Message is delivered -- with a pillowcase full of feathers -- is memorable and not embarrassingly heavy-handed.

The real star of this book, however, is Loren Long, the illustrator who didn't get so much as a cover credit. Mr. Long's vivid paintings, with their deep shadows and nostalgic light, perfectly capture the story's small-town setting.

If Madonna keeps on her current course, by the time her children's-book-writing contract is up, she may yet turn out a book I can get behind. And that would be something. Until then, I'll enjoy looking at the pictures.

Jennifer: I was surprised to adore a book by Madonna (yes, the pop star) so very, very much. This tale of a little boy, his teacher and baseball coach, and reputation is based on a 300 year old tale told to her by a Kabbalah teacher and teaches about the power of words. The illustrations, paintings by Loren Long, are luminous. They capture even more than words the aching heart of a little boy who has done something wrong, vast challenge of reclaiming a tarnished reputation, and the quiet calm of forgiveness.

Carrie: This book is great! It really makes the reader understand the power of words. Tommy Tittlebottom assumes Mr. Peabody is a thief when he sees him take an apple without paying for it. He tells one person, who tells another, and so on. In end the Mr. Peabody (a very honest and kind teacher and coach) teaches Tommy a powerful lesson. And he uses a pillow case to do it! You've got to read this book!

Asia: I read this to my 7 year old son yesterday and really enjoyed the message and the art. It cleverly teaches about the negative effects of gossip and touches on the non-competitive benefits of playing a game for fun. When I read about the author and illustrator, I was surprised to find out that it was written by the singer Madonna. I guess she’s not only a genius on stage.

Amber: I truly enjoyed this book. This a great addition to character education! I think my students will be fascinated by the illustrations and the message behind the story. This is great for all ages but especially upper elementary school since it reveals the truth about spreading rumors. The story caught me off guard and I think that my students will feel the same. I plan to own a copy for my classroom. For a lesson I would ask the students to write about an experience where they either spread a rumor or had one spread about them. Then they would need to say what could they do to make the situation better or what should have been done to avoid it. I would talk to them about how deeply it hurts others when we assume things.

Errin: Mr. Peabody, the local teacher and baseball coach, is caught stealing apples from Mr. Funkideli's fruit stand. Without talking to Mr. Peabody about his actions, town children decided to spread the nasty rumor all around the small town of Happville. As soon as Mr. Peabody realizes what is happening, he questions the boy who began the rumor. Is Mr. Peabody "really" a thief? Can the young boy mend fences with the town's teacher?

This excellent story is filled with colorful illustrations. I have found the many children can connect with this text while learning a good lesson about rumors.