The Flyaway Pantaloons

by Sue Scullard (Illustrator), Joseph Sharples (Verses)

A pair of pantaloons relates how, after being blown off its clothesline, it had an exciting adventure before returning where it belonged.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

Library Binding

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Thomas Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. 30 pages, each an elaborate picture of an urban medieval scene, with a short verse. Can be read in 10 minutes, mostly looking at the pictures.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It happened one wash day - I'd been in the tub
And was looking my best from a soak and a scrub.
I was out on the clothesline, sunning my legs,
When a blustery gust blew me free from my pegs.

A pair of fancy pink pantaloons has an airborne adventure in a Renaissance seaside town. Scullard's illustrations are copiously detailed and riotously colored. I particularly love her enormous cathedral and its bold horizontal stripes, modeled on the Duomo/Baptistery/Campanile of Florence and seen from a bird's eye view.

[Kelli Ryne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little known fact about linen undergarments in the Renaissance is that when they were so bedraggled and could no longer be repaired, they would be gathered by linen collectors, torn, soaked and pounded into paper, creating a wider market for books due to the availability of cheap paper. While this book has little to do with that, it DOES give a good look into life during the Renaissance. It takes place in a colorful Italian city and students can see the wealth, celebration and "rebirth" of Europe after the Middle Ages. Students should have previously discussed the Black Death and how it freed up land and money that hadn't been available before, providing the previously poor and undereducated lower class the opportunity to become middle, merchant class. This picture book would provide students a sort of "Where's Waldo" of clues as to how this change was manifested in England.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a completely charming little rhyme about a pair of pantaloons that gets blown from the clothesline and the adventures of it being tossed here and there by the wind and other creatures throughout what looks like a small Italian (?) town.

Fabulous illustrations - very detailed and lots to look at. Perfect for Jasper (2yo) to keep his attention while I read the short rhymes on each page.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most delightful story and the most glorious illustration by one of my most favourite illustrators.
A gem of a book.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL and interesting illustrations. Cute story too.

[Lauren Pridgen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only reason I picked this book up was because I saw it on Reading Rainbow. The story was funny and the artwork was lovely.