Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle was written by Betty MacDonald. These books were originally stories she used to tell her children, nieces and nephews growing up. Thankfully, she published them and now they can be shared with other generations.
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is every child's ideal grown up. She always listens, she never fusses if you break something, and she has a wonderful house full of strange and magical items brought back by her husband during his days as a pirate.
Mr. Piggle Wiggle also brought back some very strange potions. Things that the parents appreciated more than the children. Mr. Piggle Wiggle brought back cures for some of the children's bad habits. Some of the cures were simple common sense, but the others were more esoteric, cleverly administrated by stealth or trickery.  For example, in the cry baby cure,Mrs. Piggle Wiggle  helps a young lady named Melody stop crying over every little thing. The cure comes in the form of a tonic that smells like vanilla, but after taking it, when Melody begins to cry, she cries so much she can literally fill up a room! Whether it is from fear of drowning, or the tonic itself, Melody finally stops the waterworks
But Mrs. Piggle Wiggle doesn't just use the magical potions Mr. Piggle Wiggle left her. When Hubert Prentiss refuses to clean his room up, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle advises his mother to leave him alone. Eventually his room becomes so messy he can't leave it. That's when Mrs. Piggle Wiggle comes down the street with a group of children. They are going to the circus. She invites Hubert along and waits while he cleans his room.
Some of her cures involved using animals. In Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Farm, she has a pig, named Lester who teaches the children good manners. In another book, she has a parrot named Gertrude who teaches a young lady how rude answering back can be.
There are five Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books. The last one written was done fifty years after the original publishing date of the first. It was co authored by Betty MacDonald's daughter Anne. In it she has a story that was written by her mother and never published, as well as stories written based on her mother's notes.
Boys and Girls from about 5 and up will love these books. Although they are kind of old fashioned  <in one book she talks about a young girl knitting a scarf for Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, while listening to her show on the radio>  children will still enjoy them.
The thing I like most about the books is that children are actually doing things. Woodworking, baking, playing outdoors, and making believe. But that is just the parent in me. I miss those days when kids went out to play all day every day.
Boys and Girls will enjoy these books. And why not? Every neighborhood should have their own Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.