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Oct 22, 2011

Ronyell rated it:

Revised Review:

“Heckedy Peg” is another early book of Audrey Wood and Don Wood and is the winner of the Irma Simonton Black Award. With Audrey Wood’s masterful storytelling and Don Wood’s exotic illustrations, “Heckedy Peg” is sure to be an instant classic.

Audrey Wood’s masterful storytelling is both exciting and intense as she narrates the story of a mother who risks her life to find her seven children before Heckedy Peg eats them up. The scene that really stood out th More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Oct 22, 2011

Caren rated it:

The illustrations in this book are luscious and the story feels like an old-fashioned fairytale. I read this to a large group of first-graders and they hung on every word. The seven children, whose names are the days of the week, are left alone in their cottage while their mother goes to the market. Before leaving, their mother warns them not to let in any strangers and not to touch the fire. When Heckedy Peg knocks at their door, cackling "I'm Heckedy Peg, I've lost my leg, let me in" More...

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Jul 12, 2010

Connie rated it:

Some other reviewers have commented that this book "sounds traditional" or "reads like folklore" or similar. That's actually because it IS a traditional bit of folklore - it's taken from a traditional children's game known variously as "Old Witch, Old Witch" or "The Witch in the Well" or I'm sure a dozen other things! This commenter suggests that the second part of the game he played - which is word-for-word in the book - is called "Pies" and was More...

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Oct 13, 2011

Crystal rated it:

I really loved the illustrations in this book. When I checked it out I didn't realize it was by the married author/illustrator team who collaborated on an excellent read King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. I liked the old time feel of the story. The witch reminded me of snow white and the seven dwarfs. A mother leaves her children alone to go into town. Upon coming home, she discovers they are missing. A little blackbird tells her what happened and she is off to rescue her children from the evil witc More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jun 08, 2011

Lisa rated it:

The illustrations here are truly magnificent. The paintings would not be out of place in an art museum. They’re amazing.

The story is both scary and funny. I’d have been terrified as a young child, but as an adult I really enjoyed the story.

It’s about a clever and loving mother and her seven children. (Given the children’s names, I did get a chuckle from wondering what she’d have done had she had eight children. ha ha) I guess this is a reassurance story since the mother o More...

15 comments like (9 people liked it)

Oct 30, 2011

Dolly rated it:

Creepy and ethereal illustrations and a scary narrative highlight this story by the writing team of Audrey Wood and Don Wood. The story is spooky and entertaining and perfect to read at Halloween, even if it isn't about the holiday.

Our girls really enjoyed the story and talked about it for days after we read it. I love the amazing illustrations and just had to reread the story and really look at the details in the pictures. I also love that the Mom is the hero of the story and s More...

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Nov 19, 2009

Stephanie rated it:

First I have to say we love everything by Audrey Wood. She is definitely one of our favorites and we really love it when it is a collaboration with her husband, Don Wood. So, when we saw this one, we just had to try it!

We've been reading this non-stop since checking it out at the library. My three year old loves it! I find it a bit scary but she doesn't seem to mind. She asks me if there are good witches too and of course I tell her that there are. I also think because I read it in More...

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Jul 14, 2010

Kathleen rated it:

Another great story by Audrey and Don Wood. Infact it is their favorite book that they have done together. The illustrations in this book are beautiful! I love the way that Don captures the expressions of the children in the story. I am not sure that I would share this story with the 3 and 4 year olds in my classroom as the story may be "too scary". I am planning to share it with my Kindergarteners. I believe that the children will enjoy the suspense of what happens when the seve More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Oct 17, 2011

Randie rated it:

Seven children are left home alone while their mother goes to the market to buy them special items for helping with chores. The mother tells them to the lock the door, not to let in strangers, and to stay away from fire. An old witch, Heckedy Peg tricks the children into letting her inside and she turns them into food. Will mother be able to save her seven children from this wicked old witch?

An incredible story. It does read like a folktale variant and the children turning into food More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 14, 2011

Lani rated it:

Another book by Audrey and Don Wood. This is a spooky story about a witch that turns 7 children into differnt types of food. It is up to their mother to save the day. The Wood's do an AMAZING job with illustrations. The pictures are beautiful and detailed. This was one of my favorite childhood books and I still read it every now and then. Within it's pages there is also a great lesson to be taught to children. The whole don't talk to strangers comes into play. I wouldn't read this book to extrem More...

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Mar 16, 2010

Baylee rated it:

In this story, a mother must save her seven children from an evil witch named Heckedy Peg who has turned them into different kinds of food that she plans to feast upon. The seven children in this story are named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This story could be integrated into a lower elementary classroom when teaching a lesson on the days of the week. Several times, the seven children’s names are listed in order. This could help students to recognize the na More...

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Oct 15, 2009

Andrew added it

The first thing I thought of when reading the names of the children in the book was how great of a book this would be for young children, kindergarten or first grade, with learning the days of the week. Has a very similar storyline to Hansel and Gretel with the use witches and casting spells. Children could read this and compare it to other similar stories and be used during this time of year with Halloween coming up. The illustrations in this book were fascinating and incredibly detailed. T More...

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Jan 12, 2012

Robyn rated it:

In this book, the children's names are the days of the week; it would be great for reinforcing the days of the week when children are learning them. This book would also be great to for the children to predict what happens next. Should they let the stranger in? What will happen when they let the stranger in? What items could the mother pair to which food to figure out her children?

This book could also be used for math discussion; # of days of the week, # of items the mother will ge More...

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May 26, 2011

Abigail rated it:

When their mother, setting out to the market in town, must leave them home alone, seven rambunctious siblings - named for the seven days of the week - keep to her instructions at first, refusing to open the door for strangers, or to touch the fire. But a crafty witch named Heckedy Peg (who'd lost her leg) soon comes along, tempting them with a bag of gold, and - when they finally do admit her to the cottage - transforming them into various food items! It falls to their determined and resourceful More...

7 comments like (7 people liked it)

Aug 15, 2008

Carol rated it:

Love this book! Illustrated by Don Wood, one of my all-time favorite children's illustrators. The story has purpose and teaches children not to let strangers in the house or play with fire.

Momma has to go to the market and asks each of her children (named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday!) what they would like on her return. While she is gone they are not to open the door to strangers or play with fire. Along comes, Heckedy Peck (a witch), who e More...

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Sep 09, 2010

Susan rated it:

Paralleling the idea of "The Wolf and the Seven Kids", this folktale details how a mother saves her children (named after the days of the week) from a witch after they have been tricked by her. Using quick wit and recognition of the food group matching the mother rescues her children. A fun tale to use for folktales, parellel stories and matching and prediction as well as introducing the days of the week and possibly pairing with the rhyme of the days of the week.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 26, 2009

Jan rated it:

One day when their mother was in town at the market, her 7 children are tricked by a witch, and she turns them into various items of food. The mother returns just as the witch is about to eat the children. The mother must solve a riddle proving she knows and recognizes each of her children in order to restore them to their former shape.

The illustrations by Don Wood remind me of Maxfield Parrish prints. They are awesomely grotesque and could be frightening to children.

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May 02, 2011

Cheryl in CC NV rated it:

Read this years ago but didn't remember it well so decided to again. Glad I did. Powerfully gorgeous illustrations. Puzzle concept clever. Sense of story and text imperfect. After all, for example, if mother has seven children and is noted as being poor, how does she buy seven presents at market? And if the children are so good, how are they so easily fooled? Still, a quality book for any library or collection of picture-book fables.

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Apr 06, 2010

Jill rated it:

This is my three-year-olds current favorite. We read it at least twice a day. If I had read it less, I might have given it four stars. ;)

The illustrations are gorgeous, as Don Wood's always are. The story is mesmerizing and memorable. My kids can tell the story of the mother knocking on the door of Heckedy Peg's home by heart.

I'm a big fan of books that teach kids to obey their mom. Haha.

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Feb 11, 2012

Emm rated it:

I'm only adding this now because this was one of my favorite books when I was younger. I rememebr the library days in elementary school and I would get told I couldn't check this out again. It was the only thing I wanted to read. I had to do a bit of searching for the title now, because when I was little I don't even think I knew the title (I just knew exactly where it was in the library).

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Jan 21, 2009

Natalie rated it:

This is a book that I have read over and over to my little brothers, and they never get tired of it. It teaches of the kind of love a mother can have for her children, and also the love and unity that can exist in family. With awesome illustrations and captivating text, this book would be a great investment for any parent and/or Elementary teacher.

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Sep 23, 2009

Emily rated it:

Beautiful illustrations, wonderfully detailed, haunting and perhaps even frightening for younger children. I love the joy in the children's faces when they are playing together or talking to their mother. Mother is a true hero, providing for her children and determined to rescue them from the wicked witch. Good lessons in obedience, courage, persistence.

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Sep 12, 2008

B rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Feb 28, 2011

saint frances rated it:

While I was doing discards at work today, I stumbled upon this book. I didn't recognized the title at all but the artwork was so familiar to me that the whole creepy story soon came rushing back. I was totally morbidly fascinated with this book as a little girl and had completely forgotten about it until I saw the cover today!

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Nov 13, 2010

Tiffany rated it:

This was my favorite book as a child for both the illustrations and the story. The illustrations are gorgeously rendered, rivaling K.Y Craft, in my opinion, for attention to detail and for the way the illustrations seem to glow. The story is dark and creepy but ends happily as fairy tales should. Perfect in every way.

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Jul 06, 2010

Autumn rated it:

We've been reading this book over and over for years, since my 6 year old was 3 1/2. She likes to be scared so this was just scary enough to give her a thrill but not so much that she had bad dreams at night! The illustrations are fabulous and the story with its repetitiveness is wonderful and fun to read.

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May 06, 2009

Chandra rated it:

I had a review written for this and it just seemed so inadequate that I deleted it and now I don't know what to say! How do you describe something that you think is perfect? It's creepy, funny, touching and very very smart. And the illustrations are OUT OF THIS WORLD! I wish I could say more, but its one of those books that speaks for itself. I think this an essential for any home picture book collection along with others by the Woods - King Bidgood's In The Bathtub and The Napping House. More...

12 comments like (6 people liked it)

Nov 15, 2011

Laura rated it:

I love fairy tales with awful and creepy antagonists because when I read them out loud I get to practice my evil villain voice. Heckedy Peg did not dissapoint. The illustrations are beautiful and as a bonus it's about food! Children's books do not get better than this.

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May 26, 2011

Krista the Krazy Kataloguer added it

This is a great pick for story time! Not only are the illustrations beautiful, but children can try to guess how the mother will figure out which food is which child. I consider this to be one of Audrey and Douglas Wood's best. Highly recommended!

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Mar 19, 2011

Cheryl/Aradanryl rated it:

One of my daughters all time favorite books when they were little. The illustrations are incredible. Found two copies for AB's classroom library.

Sensitive readers <spoiler>witch turns children into food to eat them, mom pretends to cut off legs</spoiler>

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