Reading “Prudy’s Problem” reminds me so much of my own children – they can’t seem to throw anything away!
Prudy is an ordinary girl who wants to do all the things her friends do. And like most children, Prudy is a collector. There’s just one problem – Prudy collects everything.
Some of her friends collect butterflies, or stamps, or tin foil. So does Prudy. But she also collects rocks, feathers, leaves, twigs, dead bugs, old flowers, and even fungi. She won’t throw away any picture she’s drawn, and she has over six hundred stuffed animals. She has scarves, pencils, fabric scraps, and even tufts of hair from dogs.
Prudy’s things have spilled out of her house and all over the lawn, a fact which does not make her tidy father happy. He can’t even mow the lawn, there’s so much stuff all over it. Finally he tells Prudy that they need to do something about all her things. Her mother agrees, tired of not being able to walk through the living room. Prudy’s parents both try to convince her that she has a problem, but Prudy just doesn’t see it that way.
That is, until one day, when she picks up a silver gum wrapper and takes it home to add to her collection. She opens her bedroom door to throw it in – and the walls bulge out. Her room explodes!
Bits and pieces of her collection float out into the air and land all over the place, some as far away as Alaska. Finally Prudy realizes that yes, indeed, she does have a problem. But what to do?
After visiting an art museum and doing research at the library, she gets a wonderful idea. Working together with her father, she builds The Prudy Museum of Indescribable Wonderment. It becomes the main attraction in town, and she pockets a little money on the side. Finally all her things are neat and organized – but I’m sorry to say, she does keep collecting. Including elephants.
(This book was published in 2002 by Harry N. Abrams, and was illustrated by the author.)
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