Review - Mud Puddle

Mud Puddle
by Robert Munsch
illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Date: 1979
Publisher: Annick Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Whenever Jule Ann goes outside, a Mud Puddle jumps on her and gets her muddy all over. But she defeats it with cheerful ingenuity and two bars of smelly yellow soap. As in all Munsch stories, kids are the heroes!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a pretty nonsensical story. I think it's basically just a statement about how some kids will find mud and manage to get dirty when they go outside, no matter what. Here we have a sentient mud puddle that kind of stalks a little girl named Jule Ann. It lurks in trees or on the roof and hides behind fences. Every time Jule Ann puts on clean clothes and goes outside, the mud puddle is waiting to get her dirty (which results in a thorough scrubbing from her mother). Eventually, Jule Ann has had enough, and she concocts a simple plan to get rid of the mud puddle once and for all.

Maybe the reason I'm struggling with liking this one more is because of the illustrations. They're okay, but when I read Robert Munsch's stories, I really like seeing what Michael Martchenko can do with the illustrations. If this book had been illustrated by him, I might've had a more favourable opinion of it.

All in all, it's not terrible, but it's not my favourite Munsch book by any means.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.67 out of 5