Geraldine and Mrs. Duffy

by Holly Keller

Geraldine and Willy do not want Mrs. Duffy to baby-sit for them. So when she arrives, they arrange a surprise or her. Almost anyone would find the sight of a large iguana in the bathtub unnerving. But Mrs. Duffy surprises them. And at the end of the evening the two troublemakers surprise themselves by hoping Mrs. Duffy will come and baby-sit again soon!

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction

24 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

Holly Keller is an American author and illustrator of children’s books, celebrated for her warm storytelling and distinctive minimalist cartoon style, often featuring animal protagonists. A lifelong reader and artist, she studied history before turning to illustration, encouraged by a design professor to pursue picture books. Her debut publications introduced a body of work known for gentle humor and emotional insight. Keller’s stories frequently explore themes such as adoption, belonging, friendship, sibling bonds, and coping with loss, offering young readers reassurance alongside entertainment. In addition to writing and illustrating her own titles, she has created artwork for texts by other children’s authors. Her books have received numerous honors and remain widely appreciated for their clarity, empathy, and timeless appeal.

Reviews

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreaders, do you remember giving a rough time to your babysitters when you were a kid?

I remember one babysitter, who was so grandmotherly. It never occurred to me to dislike any babysitter, let alone see what I could get away with. No wonder I never inspired any funny picture books like "Geraldine and Mrs. Duffy!"

Boundary pushers, past and present, may discover special enjoyment through this book about unrepentant pranking. Geraldine and her little brother Willy are adamant. They do not want to be babysat by a stranger, Mrs. Duffy.

Once she's in charge, the young pigs knock themselves out, being as naughty as possible. For instance:

[The babysitter] checked her watch and said it was time for a bath.

"No," Willy said. "I'm not dirty."
[Then he pulled up his shirt to reveal his big chubby tummy.]

"I can get Willy into the tub," said [his big sister] Geraldine.

"No, you can't," said Willy, and he threw himself
into the wastepaper basket."

BIG CHILDREN, BIG PROBLEMS
BUT SMALL CHILDREN, SMALL PROBLEMS

Eventually Geraldine and Willy throw Jerome, their pet iguana, into the bathtub. Adventures ensue.

Despite all suspense, the ending is happy. What a sweet, lighthearted tale... A FIVE STAR story, with the usual fabulous illustrations as well by Holly Keller.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a favorite from my childhood. It was fun to go back and re-read it now, from an adult perspective! Although this book is fairly straightforward and doesn't have too many underlying themes, its premise is humorous and light. Students would be quite amused by the interactions between Geraldine and her brother, Willy, and their pet lizard Jerome! It is an fun book and will definitely maintain student interest, but I can't see how this book could be used to teach a lesson and/or encourage students to extrapolate any further meaning from it (as you can with some other books that address more serious/difficult topics).

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as cute as the other books. Geraldine uses her big sister wisdom to help the baby-sitter with her brother. And yet she still learns that it's good to have an older person around to take care of the Jerome-on-the-loose situations.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 'new babysitter' book; two little piglets doesn't want a new babysitter and the little girl says she's not a baby anymore. So they set out to hijinks the new older sitter. In the end they come to love her.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

An OK story about Geraldine and Willy trying to torment their new babysitter, but a little inane. Didn't live up to my expectations after Geraldine's Blanket...