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Jillian Jiggs
Jillian Jiggs and the Secret Surprise
Jillian doesn't have any money to buy her little sister Rebecca a birthday present. Her best friends Peter and Rachel remind Jillian that the best presents are the
ones that you make. Suddenly, Jillian has an idea. They'll put on a show! The trio create a story and make a set and costumes. As they rehearse, the guests arrive and want to be part of the play. As the cast keeps growing Jillian must think up new parts — including a Queen, a two-headed dragon, and a chorus of pigs. Everyone is so caught up in their roles that they don't even notice when Rebecca walks in on their rehearsal and asks, “Jillian, Jillian, let me play too.” Rebecca is thrilled to be the star, but now there's another problem. With everybody performing, who will watch the show? Jillian's ingenuity once again leads her and her friends into an entertaining adventure. Phoebe Gilman's wonderful rhyming text and playful illustrations will have readers shouting “Encore, Encore!”
ones that you make. Suddenly, Jillian has an idea. They'll put on a show! The trio create a story and make a set and costumes. As they rehearse, the guests arrive and want to be part of the play. As the cast keeps growing Jillian must think up new parts — including a Queen, a two-headed dragon, and a chorus of pigs. Everyone is so caught up in their roles that they don't even notice when Rebecca walks in on their rehearsal and asks, “Jillian, Jillian, let me play too.” Rebecca is thrilled to be the star, but now there's another problem. With everybody performing, who will watch the show? Jillian's ingenuity once again leads her and her friends into an entertaining adventure. Phoebe Gilman's wonderful rhyming text and playful illustrations will have readers shouting “Encore, Encore!”
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Phoebe Gilman
35 books55 followersWhat can I tell you about myself? I like to make up stories and draw pictures. I like to go ice skating, to the movies and I love reading books.
I was born and grew up in the Bronx, New York. My Mother loved to read so it was only natural that my brothers and I got our own library cards as soon as we were able to print our names. My favorite books were fairy tales. When the pictures didn't match the images that the words had painted in my head, I would cover them up with my hands. I still do that.
I prefer the words to the pictures, which is a little odd since I think of myself as an artist rather than a writer. All of my formal training has been in art. I went to The High School of Art and Design. From there, it was a short skip and a jump over to The Art Student's League, after a brief detour to Hunter College. I spent fifteen years at the Ontario College of Art, teaching others how to draw and paint. It still surprises me to be called a writer.
As soon as I was able, I started to travel. I like meeting new faces and going to new places. One of the nice things about being an artist is that it is a very portable profession. I have lived for extended periods of time in both Europe and Israel.
Shortly after coming to Canada in 1972, I met and married Brian Bender. We have three children, Ingrid, Jason and Melissa, two granddaughters, Ariana and Emily and a cat, Minoo.
It was because of my daughter, Ingrid, that I became an author. When her balloon burst on a tree branch, I wished the tree would magically sprout balloons. It didn't...what sprouted was an idea in my head. Why not write a story about a tree that blossoms balloons? And that's how I came to write my first book, The Balloon Tree.
It is not how I came to be published. That took fifteen years and umpty zillion rejection slips to accomplish.
My advice to any aspiring author is:
•Get a balloon and let it go.
•Read. Read. READ!
•Write. Write. WRITE! (To do anything well takes practice.)
•Don't give up. Keep on trying.
•Don't be afraid of criticism. Learn from it.
From the author's website
I was born and grew up in the Bronx, New York. My Mother loved to read so it was only natural that my brothers and I got our own library cards as soon as we were able to print our names. My favorite books were fairy tales. When the pictures didn't match the images that the words had painted in my head, I would cover them up with my hands. I still do that.
I prefer the words to the pictures, which is a little odd since I think of myself as an artist rather than a writer. All of my formal training has been in art. I went to The High School of Art and Design. From there, it was a short skip and a jump over to The Art Student's League, after a brief detour to Hunter College. I spent fifteen years at the Ontario College of Art, teaching others how to draw and paint. It still surprises me to be called a writer.
As soon as I was able, I started to travel. I like meeting new faces and going to new places. One of the nice things about being an artist is that it is a very portable profession. I have lived for extended periods of time in both Europe and Israel.
Shortly after coming to Canada in 1972, I met and married Brian Bender. We have three children, Ingrid, Jason and Melissa, two granddaughters, Ariana and Emily and a cat, Minoo.
It was because of my daughter, Ingrid, that I became an author. When her balloon burst on a tree branch, I wished the tree would magically sprout balloons. It didn't...what sprouted was an idea in my head. Why not write a story about a tree that blossoms balloons? And that's how I came to write my first book, The Balloon Tree.
It is not how I came to be published. That took fifteen years and umpty zillion rejection slips to accomplish.
My advice to any aspiring author is:
•Get a balloon and let it go.
•Read. Read. READ!
•Write. Write. WRITE! (To do anything well takes practice.)
•Don't give up. Keep on trying.
•Don't be afraid of criticism. Learn from it.
From the author's website
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 17, 2018
Jillian is sad as she realizes she has spent all her money and now can't buy Rebecca a present for her birthday. Her friends inform her that the best gifts are handmade and she should think of something she can create for Rebecca. Jillian comes up with a plan of putting on a play for her, but her little production slowly grows and takes on a life of its own.
In the back of the book, the play Jillian and her friends came up with is written out just encase you would like to put on your own production.
In the back of the book, the play Jillian and her friends came up with is written out just encase you would like to put on your own production.
February 25, 2026
Jillian wants to come up with something special for her sister's birthday, so decides to put on a play for her. At the back of the book is a script for an actual play that you could do with children. We enjoyed both the story and the play.
July 29, 2023
Kait is curious to try to put on the play. It’s a good story.
August 13, 2024
That was not a surprise at all. Hahaha- khi 3
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews