This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
The sister and brother duo of Suzanne Hansford Evans, author, and David Hansford, illustrator, have created their debut children's book, "Mrs. Mullendeck's Big Sneeze," the first in a series for pokiedotbooks.com. Suzanne is a wife, mother of two and retired businesswoman who believes you're never too old to start new adventures. David is an accomplished artist whose illustrations reflect his playfulness and joy in creating beautiful images. Suzanne and David both enjoyed reading to their children when they were young. Reading time was an opportunity to learn, be playful, and expand the imagination well beyond the story. They also share a sense of whimsy, childish tendencies and a belief in laughing until something silly happens. Their hope is that "Mrs. Mullendeck's Big Sneeze" captures all these ideas and more.
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
Mrs. Mullendeck's Big Sneeze is a children’s picture book written by Suzanne Evans and illustrated by David V. Hansford. The day that Mrs. Mullendeck had her big sneeze was one that no one in her neighborhood was likely to forget anytime soon. It was a big sneeze, a sneeze that led to events that would baffle the imagination, a street-blasting sneeze. Neighbors fell off their rockers and chairs, passersby found themselves head over heels, animals of all sizes and shapes were shaken, stirred, and upended by that mighty sneeze. And just when everyone started to feel that things might be able to return to normal again, something happened.
Mrs. Mullendeck's Big Sneeze is a sheer delight to read. It's a marvelous story of a senior with the ability to produce truly prodigious sneezes. The accompanying illustrations make each page an adventure, one to be savored slowly as the reader studies every part of the page, delighting in the surprises and creatures to be found everywhere one looks. I loved the elephant who seemed oddly at ease in just about every panel, though I did wonder how it managed to get inside the pet store at one point. David V. Hansford’s artwork is marvelous. It catches the humor of the story perfectly and somehow manages to pair classic, old-style artwork with some splendid silliness.
While this book is ideal for storytime, especially when followed by the More Fun with Mrs. Mullendeck discussion questions at the end of the story, I can’t think of a better selection for a new reader to try on their own. The rhyming story is perfectly suited for a new reader, and those eloquent and fun-filled illustrations will make for an unforgettable reading experience for a newbie. Mrs. Mullendeck's Big Sneeze by Suzanne Evans is most highly recommended.
