What Luann said in her review! I will only add that, since I generally like world-building the best part of series, I expect to give the first book of this four stars if I ever find a copy. Toad was a little too annoying in this one, and the family's situations a bit too contrived. But stale bread pudding with chocolate chips is indeed a winning recipe! Oh, and I love the names: Mr. Forthright the minister, Mr. Bovine the farmer, etc. ( )

This is a sweet, Christmas story about children pulling together to care for each other, and their maid. Yes, the youngest uses Voodoo, and it appears to work, but that definitely adds to the appeal of this mild-mannered book. Longer review on my website www.kristinakerhowell.com ( )

This is a sweet, Christmas story about children pulling together to care for each other, and their maid. Yes, the youngest uses Voodoo, and it appears to work, but that definitely adds to the appeal of this mild-mannered book. Longer review on my website www.kristinakerhowell.com ( )

Housekeeper/nanny Mrs. Coverlet needs to leave her charges again, but she isn't going to allow Malcomb, Molly, and Theobold ("Toad") to be by themselves, so she asks nosy neighbor Miss Eva to watch the children for a week. But Miss Eva's ideas of diet and living conditions are opposite of what the children are used to, and when the Toad's cats are locked in the basement, something's gotta give.

I loved this book as a child, and it holds up well for an adult reading. Some of the aspects of the story are dated or totally unrealistic, but it's still all good fun in this "Home Alone" type story from 1961. ( )

I'm reading this to the girls and love it as much as I ever did, which is a lot. ( )