Pinky and Rex and the Mean Old Witch

Pinky and Rex #4

by James Howe, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Level 3: Reading Alone
From the earliest stages of sounding out words to the excitement of reading a whole book without help, Ready-to-Read books open up a world of possibilities to children at three different
Level 1: Starting to Read
Level 2: Reading Together
Level 3: Reading Alone
Pinky and Rex's neighbor Mrs. Morgan isn't really a mean old witch. But she sure acts like one, yelling and waving her broom around every time the kids step onto her lawn. Now she's taken their ball, just because it accidentally rolled into her yard.
So Rex and Pinky and Pinky's sister, Amanda, come up with the perfect trick to play on the Mean Old Witch. But somehow, seeing Mrs. Morgan sitting all alone in her living room makes Pinky think getting even isn't such a good idea after all. He tries a different plan, with results that surprise the kids as well as their neighbor.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Halloween, Fiction, Kids

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 30, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Howe has written more than eighty books in the thirty-plus years he's been writing for young readers. It sometimes confuses people that the author of the humorous Bunnicula series also wrote the dark young adult novel, The Watcher, or such beginning reader series as Pinky and Rex and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award-winning Houndsley and Catina and its sequels. But from the beginning of his career (which came about somewhat by accident after asking himself what kind of vampire a rabbit might make), he has been most interested in letting his imagination take him in whatever direction it cared to. So far, his imagination has led him to picture books, such as I Wish I Were a Butterfly and Brontorina (about a dinosaur who dreams of being a ballerina), mysteries, poetry (in the upcoming Addie on the Inside), and fiction that deals with issues that matter deeply to him. He is especially proud of The Misfits, which inspired national No Name-Calling Week (www.nonamecallingweek.org) and its sequel Totally Joe. He does not know where his imagination will take him in the next thirty-plus years, but he is looking forward to finding out.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Pinky and Rex book sounds like it is a Halloween book and it’s not. The Mean old witch is Pinky’s next door neighbor and she is simply mean. When the kids have to get their ball out of her yard, the old woman runs out of the house swinging a broom.

The children contemplate how they will get even with the old woman. They plan a prank. Pinky is going to put some goopy goo into her mailbox. As he is on her porch, he looks in the window to witness that she is staring off into space all by herself. This makes Pinky Curious. He comes up with a plan.

The next day Pinky takes a bag of cookies over to her house and gives them to the next door neighbor. It softens her up. She doesn’t even say thank you. In a later volume, we see that Pinky and Rex do befriend the lady. Now, when they get their ball, the lady does not come out with a broom.

It’s a nice book about trying to see where a person is coming from. Pinky figure she was lonely, so he did something nice for her. This is a level 3 Ready-to-Read book. It’s a good story about thinking of creative ways to deal with problems. I wish I was better at this.

[Anna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: pinky and Rex are playing ball and they have a mean old neighbor who hates when then come over to her yard! But pinky asks his father why she is so mean and his father tells him she is all alone! They bake cookies that night and the next day Pinky decides that he is going to take some over to the mean old lady next door even if she might call the police! He knocks on her door and she opens shouting that she will call the police if they don’t leave but Pinky explains that he brought her some cookies that were home made! She took them and went back inside and she didn’t yell at them anymore.
Grade:1-3
Classroom: reading
Individual: fun read/ learning to read
Whole: n/a just keeping on bookshelf
Small: n/a just keeping on bookshelf
Related books: Pinky and Rex ready to read series
Multimedia: recorded books

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I guess she doesn't have anyone left to love, Pinky. Maybe she's forgotten how."

—Pinky's father, "Pinky and Rex and the Mean Old Witch", P. 30

I was truly impressed with the way that James Howe wrote this simple yet important short story. I'm not surprised that the book contains good depth, as such wonderful sense of feeling is woven through most of James Howe's stories, but the subject matter of an old lady who is viewed as mean until one character finds out that the lady is more or less just lonely could have all too easily taken the turn into the rut of common cliche, by Pinky's kind offering of the cookies making the woman suddenly into a friendly, outgoing person.
James Howe thoughtfully and cleverly avoided this, and the result is a very meaningful story that has a distinctly realistic flavor to it. All types of people will be able to read this book and identify with at least one character, and probably several of them.
"Pinky and Rex and the Mean Old Witch" is yet another noteworthy accomplishment in the impressive and fresh Pinky and Rex series, and I would give it two and a half stars.

"Nobody's born mean...Life just makes people that way sometimes."

—Pinky's father, "Pinky and Rex and the Mean Old Witch", P. 30

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've read several books in the Pinky and Rex series by James Howe and Melissa Sweet and we like the unusual characters and the purposeful challenge to stereotypes.

This is a sweet story that shows Pinky, Rex and Amanda having trouble with one of their neighbors. The mean, old lady does not generate much sympathy, but Pinky finds a way to connect with her, even if just a little. I like how the book ends. Pinky's gesture doesn't make her transform suddenly into a nice old lady, but he is determined to be kind and friendly to her.

We enjoyed reading this book together and we will certainly look for more of the books in this series from our local library.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was an awful book. I didn't find it particularly well written as the underlying message (don't judge a book by its cover- pardon the cliche) could have been portrayed in a more positive and creative way. The illustrations were better than the story. I wouldn't buy another Pinky and Rex book. However, I will note that I read this book to my young son. Perhaps a beginning reader would enjoy this more than myself.

[nimrodiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally picked this up from bookmooch as I wanted some children's books to release into a Little Free Library that has been erected a half a block away from a currently closed due to water damage branch of the local public library.

It was when I received it that I recognized the author as that of the Bunicula books. I thought that this had a good message of being nice to others even if they have not been nice to you.

[Sandra Vicars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pinky, Rex and Amanda have a run in with their neighbor, Mrs. Morgan. She chases them away with a broom. They decide to do something mean in return, but Pinky has second thoughts when he sees her throuh the window. A great story about not judging people by what they do or look like.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tiny bit implausible, and predictable (at least to this experienced reader), but still well-done and heartwarming enough to bring tear-prickles to the eyes.

[Pinky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pinky tries to be a friendly neighbor to mean Mrs. Morgan.