The Big Orange Splot (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) [School & Library Binding]

by Daniel Pinkwater

When Mr. Plumbeans' house is splashed with bright orange paint, he decides a multi-colored house would be a nice change. This favorite story of creativity and individuality is back by popular demand. Full color. Reissue.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Art, Humor, Storytime, Kids

Paperback

First published June 1, 1977

About the author

Daniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of people don't know that I actually taught children's literature for a couple semesters.

This book was one of my favorite finds from that class. It's easily in my top 50 picture books for younger kids.

Top 50 might not sound like a huge mark of distinction, but you need to realize that I probably read 300-400 picture books when I taught my class. And I've easily read another thousand to my little boys over the last couple years, so that puts this book in the top 1% pretty easily.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my very, very favorite book as a...oh, who am I kidding. This IS my very, very favorite book!! It about creativity! It is about expression! It is about going against the grain, but not just for the sake of rebellion, but rather to remain true to yourself--even if you've been hiding it for much of your life. It is a wonderful message for kids and adults. The illustrations are simple but rich in color and quirkiness. My favorite part of this book is how little known it is, so it makes sharing it with others all the more satisfying.

[Amar Pai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nuts to home owners associations. Paint the house of your dreams

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already enjoyed Mr. Pine's Purple House; will this withstand a comparison or will I call foul?
....
Oh, wow, this is also great! A little longer, a little more surreal, and a lot more groovy in a philosophical way. Also funny, with wordplay. I almost want to own a copy. Of both books.

"My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams."

And maybe of Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, too.

I want a purple house on the street with the orange splot house. I do not want to live in Mr. Tiger's world, though.
---
Time to let this treasure go to a certain young family. I hope their children grow up to be able to live in a home that they can make look like their dreams.

[Becky Loader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to live next door to Mr. Plumbean. I think my house would be painted white, with black dots, music notes, patchwork pieces, and purple iris on it. Mr. Plumbeam has not popped his cork, gushed his mush, or got knots in his noodle. Delightful.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another winner from Daniel Pinkwater, even though there are no muffins in this early book. It turns out that he is a wonderful illustrator too. This funny and fun read aloud story is a rousing endorsement of unconventionality, and the houses are so pretty. I think I could have done without the alligator though. Of course, that house is not me and I am not it; it’s Mr. Plumbean’s.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a seemingly picture-perfect neighborhood, Mr. Plumbean faces a dilemma. His house suddenly has a big orange splot on it (Read the book and find out why.) but he kind of likes it. Much to his neighbor's gasping, he makes over his whole house. It may inspire some of his other neighbors as well.

Fun, vibrantly hued story about not conforming to social norms;

What would your house look like?

[AStar Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh out-loud and I really loved the message and drawings :)

[Chance Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun book about expressing your individuality even when your environment pressures you to conform. Can't wait to read this one for a storytime-and-craft session with a super easy (for me) craft: here's a blank house -- paint it however you want!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those rare picturebooks that will surprise you and become an instant favorite. I was given this book a few years ago by a friend who loved children’s books and it has sat on my shelf unacknowledged since then. Perhaps it was the title or the front cover, I’m not sure, but I am so glad my five year old picked it out to read this week. The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater was originally published in 1977 by Scholastic and was recently republished in 1993 due to its cult-like following.

There are 32 pages of full-color drawings that will entice young readers. The illustrations are done with markers which may be one of the reasons children gravitate towards this book after they have opened its pages, and remember it long after. It begins in an all too familiar setting—a neighborhood where all the houses look exactly the same. Until one day, somehow, by chance a seagull drops a large can of bright orange paint onto the roof of Mr. Plumbean’s house. What ensues is an entertaining, and unpredictable journey of self-discovery for Mr. Plumbean as he transforms his house with rainbow colors, painting lions and stripes on the front of his house. He purchases a hammock and an alligator to hang out in his front yard and dismisses his neighbor’s protests. “Mr. Plumbean’s house was like a rainbow. It was like a jungle. It was like an explosion.” His individuality and creativity are set free and his neighbors one by one are inspired to do the same. The Big Orange Splot, like its author, is a little quirky and perhaps a bit eccentric but its message is sincere and significant. “My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams,” Mr. Plumbean said.

Upon finishing this book, my daughter turned to me and said, “I love this book. All of the people wanted to be themselves. It’s great to be different. Everyone is different. Mr. Plumbean is pretty cool mom.” You can’t ask for more than that!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this book since I was a very young child. It was a favorite book in my grandmother's first grade classroom, my mom read it to my brother and myself often growing up, and now it is a wonderful book to revisit every once in a while. Many people like conformity in their work, neighborhood, house, etc. but we all need a seagull carrying a paint bucket to drop a little color and chaos in our life.
"My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all of my dreams."

[Matthew Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book broadens the reader's perception in a way that it creates a sense of awareness. Awarness to one's self and how we perceive ourselves. This story does not directly insist that we should never care about other's opinions about us; but it does express how accepting one's self can create bliss. Staying true to yourself and expressing your inner thoughts should be embraced. The author does a solid job in conveying that concept. I enjoyed this book and I myself feel like I can embrace my own individuality.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I read this, I was an assistant teacher at a daycare, still in my 20s and with no plans to have kids any time soon - but I loved it so much that I swore I would buy this for my kids whenever I did have them. I did, eight years later (I bought it when I was still pregnant with my first child!), and I'm so glad. We all love it! This is such a joyful celebration of creativity and nonconformity, and it sparks really fun conversations every time we read it together.

[Michael Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Plumbean uses "lemonade" to influence his neighbors to join and to decorate their houses. He probably would not have made any changes to his house if his neighbors weren't so pushy about fixing the spot on his house that wasn't even really his fault.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Self expression & confidence. Dare to be different. Easily paired with an activity of drawing your “dream home”

[leni swagger · Rating 5 out of 5]

children’s books are a wonderful little thing

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still fantastic after all these years. I think of this book anytime someone mentions an HOA. Homes should be a place where we feel safe to express ourselves, and be individuals.

[Hannah Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to teach others to be themselves!

[Kali Burks-Mosier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story about differences and being yourself!

[Courtenay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short. Easy to read. Spoke to my inner Hippie. I love the neighborhood created by the neighbors after the orange splot messes up one of their homes. Perfect for children with inner dreams wanting them to be free.

[Amy Seto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Plumbean lives on a neat street with identical houses all in a row. And then a seagull drops a can of orange paint on the roof of his house. His neighbors think it’s unsightly and they tell him to paint his house. So he does, but instead of repainting it the original color, he uses a rainbow of colors to cover his house with swirls and dots, elephants and lions. The neighbors are aghast! The next day he adds palm trees and a hammock. The neighbors are outraged! They send one of the neighbors to talk some sense into Mr. Plumbean, but the next morning the neighbors awake to find that the man has painted his house to look like a boat! Each time someone goes to Mr. Plumbean about his house, they wind up going home and remodeling their house instead. Now all the houses are different and if you ask why all the people would say, “Our street is us and we are it. Our street is where we like to be, and it looks like all our dreams.”

The book has a great message – that it’s great to be an individual and to have spectacular dreams– wrapped in a quirky, colorful story. Pinkwater’s illustrations are simple, yet highly imaginative. He used markers to create the illustrations, which creates a very color-saturated atmosphere. The text is straightforward and clear. The sentences are short with many repeating words, making this a great book for an early reader

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...

[Jay Bushara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A curiously slapdash looking book by the otherwise redoubtable Daniel Pinkwater, who usually farms his illustrating out to someone else. Perhaps this is significant. Mr. Plumbean, seen looking out his window on the cover, vaguely resembles the author. And it’s a pretty exuberant fable for such a simply painted treatment: a seagull flying over Plumbean’s house one day drops a can of orange paint on the roof (“no one knows why”), and everyone agrees that Plumbean should get cracking and besmirching. There’s something compelling about the splot however, and maybe even magical: when Plumbean finally does get around to addressing the asymmetry, his paint job doesn’t stop there, in fact it’s the gift of that seagull that is suddenly holding everything else together: stripes and little orange splots and pictures of elephants and pretty girls. When a representative from the neighborhood is dispatched to try and reason with him, Plumbean is ready with an answer: "My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams." A soulful addition to anyone's library, young or old.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my absolute favorite book from childhood. See, Mr. Plumbean lived on a street where all the houses looked alike, until one day, a bird carrying a pail of orange paint dropped it on Mr. Plumbean's roof, creating the big orange splot of the title. His first thought was to remove the splot, but the more he looked at it, the more he liked it. He even planted palm trees and got an alligator to add to his unique decor. Then, one by one, all his neighbors came over to his house to beg him to remove the big orange splot so that all the houses would look the same again. But he sat each one down in turn, fed them lemonade (acid-laced???), and told them, "My house is me, and I am it, and it looks like all my dreams." Then one by one, each neighbor turns his own house into his dream house. One is a ship-looking house, one looks like the Taj Mahal, and eventually each house is completely individual.

And I'll never forget how awesome that message is: My house is me, and I am it, and it looks like all my dreams. In other words, fight the power!!!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had more-or-less forgotten about this book until it showed up on Fuse #8's list of the Top 100 Picture Books. From time to time, I remember thinking to myself, "what was that book I liked so much as a kid--the one about that strange-looking house in the neighborhood where all the homes were identical brown?" But I could never for the life of me remember the name of the finer details of the plot. Upon seeing Ms. Bird's right-up, I was instantly flooded with warm memories and sorely tempted to leave my desk and make for the children's section of the nearest B&N.

This is truly an excellent read, and if there reamins a doubt in our mind, I believe it should be cleared up by the mere fact that this title appeared in "Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children's Literature." Radical.

[Dani Shuping · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think a friend introduced me to this title a few years back and I was blown away by it. It's such a simple story and the illustrations are ok, not blow me away fantastic, but the story...the story is powerful and such a great way to introduce the concept of diversity to kids.

When I first read this book I was an Art Education student and knew instantly that this would be a great story to build an art lesson around. I was working with elementary school students at the time and they loved the story and easily understood the concept of diversity and how it was important that not everyone be the same. And they enjoyed the art lesson of designing a house around their interests and what it would look like, much like the characters in the book. Overall an excellent short read that delivers an important and powerful lesson.

[Elizabeth Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books since I was a child, I would take this book from my brother. It is a wonderful story about each person's expression of uniqueness represented through their home. When the neighbor's complain to Mr. Plumbean to paint his house after a bird drops orange paint on the roof, he paints his house all sorts of crazy pictures and colors to represent himself. Soon all of the neighbors decide to paint their homes, each one a unique representation of who they are. The story is a wonderful validation for children to feel secure in being themselves.

Learning extension: After story time, have the children take turns talking about a decoration in their home or bedroom that represents who they are. For example, one child may say that they have sports posters in their room because they love to play sports.

[Lana Clifton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply adore the message of this book: be yourself and express your colors always, no matter how bland others become. The book introduces the reader to a diverse neighborhood, where all the houses look exactly alike. Then one day it happened. Someone (or bird?) decided to step out. The next thing you know, the neighbors are all drinking some funny lemonade and they magically becomes who they truly are on the inside by changing their home on the outside. Warning: this book includes made up words and is loaded with colloquialisms, yet presents great opportunities to build meaning with context clues. Great art extension after reading book: have students illustrate their own dream home and explain what inspired their design.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mr. Plumbean lived on a street where all the houses were the same . . ." until one day, a seagull carrying a can of bright orange paint ("no one knows why") drops the can on Plumbean's house, and a community crisis ensues.

Last night I reread this favorite book from my childhood--realizing, for the first time, that Daniel Pinkwater did the illustrations with markers, which I never noticed as a child. As I turned the pages, one of them fell out, and many others were torn. I can't even count the number of times my brother and I read this book as kids. It's an easy-to-understand, funny story about nonconformity, individual expression, and community, and it made a big impact on both my brother and I. If I have children, this will probably be the first book on their bookshelf.

[현순 최 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Plumbean lived on a street where all the houses were the same. One day a seagull flew over his house. The seagull was carrying a can of bright orange paint. Mr. Plumbean doesn't change his house eventhough his house has an orange spots. His neighbors want to paint his roof to remove his splots. For a while later Mr. Plumbean began to change his house. His neighbors complain about it. I like this sentence, " my house is me and I am it. my house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams. Finally, his neighbors decide to change their own way.

[Megan Shields]

Pinkwater's goofy take on a boring neighborhood's remodel is the perfect example of embracing individuality and using our voices to encourage others to be the best version of themselves that they can be! I would use The Big Orange Spot as a model text and have students take on the creed "My house is me and I am it" and write a description of what they house would look like if it best expressed who they are and what they love. This would also be a wonderful opportunity to understand my students better.