Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake

Mister Magnolia Reviews

• 
  Hilary

  My children loved this story when they were small, so small they couldn't say Mr Magnolia properly and it came out as Mr Maga-maga. This probably wouldn't have appealed to me so much if it wasn't for the enjoyment of those it was was read to. Quentin Blake's drawings are lively and bright and there is a lot going on in the pictures. The story revolves around the fact that Mr Magnolia has only one boot but he does have many other things that rhyme with boot, so it's largely a nonsense rhyme but hugely enjoyed by all the children I have read this with.
• 
  Belinda Vlasbaard

  4 stars - English Ebook
  
  Chosen as one of the top 10 Greenaway Medal winners of all time, this is a classic, exuberant, rhyming picture book from the much-loved Quentin Blake Mr. Magnolia has only one boot. 
  
  He has an old trumpet that goes rooty- toot.And two lovely sisters who play on the flute.But Mr. Magnolia has only one boot.  
  
  In this wittily rhyming picture book, Mr. Magnolia has a full and happy life except for one serious omission a boot.
  
  But one day, he receives a mysterious parcel, and at last Mr. Magnolia can splash in the puddles with everyone else.
  
  Lovely read with my grandson. We did enjoyed it a lot.
• 
  Sophie Snowden

  I was fortunate enough to meet Quentin Blake and have this book signed by him. This is a lovely picture book with a combination of illustrations and text which accompany each other perfectly. This book explores the crazy life go Mister Magnolia, who has only one boot. The rhyming text features of this book add to the flow of reading and help create a wonderful read-aloud text.
• 
  Zelal

  Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake
  This book is about a man who goes about his daily business, but he only has one boot.
  I love reading this book with my children for the simplicity of the story - he is a happy person doing things with his friends, such as playing the trumpet and taking his friends out for a scoot. The illustrations really bring the book to life. We spend just as long reading the book as looking at the detail in the pictures, for example the expression on the face of the woman in 'Just look at the way he juggles with fruit!'
  The story builds to a wonderful finale when Mister magnolia receives a package with a (mismatch) boot, but it doesn't matter to him, he now has two boots!
  I have only read this to/with my children, but because of the message, it could be used to demonstrate how happy Mister Magnolia is, even though he only has one boot. It could also be read to class as then the children could be asked questions around him still being happy with only one boot.
• 
  Мария Змийчарова

  Is this a Stormzy song? It should be a Stormzy song :D
• 
  Willow

  This is a funny book with beautiful illustrations! It is full of happy nonsense and I liked it a lot.
• 
  Rebecca

  Just beautiful and joyous. The owls alone are worth the price of the book.
• 
  Emma-Lee Alaġbary

  Fun and silly and lovely. Quentin Blake's writing is as endearing as his illustration.
• 
  Rhian Loxley

  "Poor Mister Magnolia only has one boot"… This book is a loopy and engaging rhyme. Mister Magnolia has a simple structure and principle but manages to include some more complex words that are made accessible by the colourful and active illustrations. I think that this would be a perfect book for years one and two as it would provide excellent opportunities to extend learning through questioning and would be great for speech and language activities, as it would really spark imagination and discussion.
• 
  Adrian

  Mr Magnolia has only one boot.
  He has an old trumpet that goes rooty-toot -
  And two lovely sisters who play on the flute -
  But Mr Magnolia has only one boot.
  
  Picked up as part of today's charity shop haul, this is classic
  Quentin Blake. A funny, rhyming, jaunt with Mister Magnolia will leave the reader feeling happier than when they started. A firm 3 1/2 stars.
• 
  Benja

  Mr. Magnolia has only one boot, but Blake without Dahl isn't much of a hoot.
  
• 
  Chloe Nobbs

  This book is packed full of good lessons about kindness and giving back.
  Mister Magnolia is a man who is kind to everyone but has nothing for himself, which teaches children that kindness costs nothing. The community then give back to Mister Magnolia by buying him another boot, showing that how you treat others can impact you positively or negatively.
  Children have most likely seen a homeless person in the streets before, and this book can help them to realise that even though homeless people have nothing for themselves, they are still human and have feelings even though some precautions should be taken. It would be worthwhile talking to children about being grateful for what we have because we could lose it all one day.
  The book portrays Mister Magnolia as a happy and cheerful man despite not having anything for himself, again leading to the discussion that you do not need everything, especially expensive technology, clothes and other material things, in order to be happy.
  Finally, it also shows gratitude for the smaller things in life. They gift Mister Magnolia a shoe that doesn’t match his other one, yet he is still happy. A shoe may also not be a very thoughtful gift in some people’s opinions, however it meant a lot to Mister Magnolia. So, the message that small thoughtful gifts are enough to make someone happy would be especially useful at Christmas and birthdays, even more so to children from lower income households that may feel guilty for not being able to afford presents for their friends.
• 
  Maggie Hesseling

  I love the illustrations of Quentin Blake and this book is one of his finest. The rhyming is done cleverly and with repetition, which is fantastic when it comes to little children. However, story wise it leaves a little to be desired. We pretty much learn that he does a lot of fun things without a boot. And he's still 'poor' because of it. Then when he finally gets the boot, he goes to bed?
  
  Not my favourite with regard to story, but the illustrations will keep you coming back again and again.
• 
  Emma Hamilton

  KS1- Year 1/2
  
  English: Mr Magnolia has lots of medals. Where might he have got these from? Make a new rhyme about Mr Magnolia. Find all the adjectives in the book.
  
  Maths: Count the animals that can be found in the story. Can you sort them into different groups using Venn diagrams?
  
  Science: Think about the pond habitat in Mr Magnolia’s garden. What other creatures might live there? Can you plan an investigation to find the best surface for scooting/sliding on? Which has the most/least friction?
  
  Art: Design a new boot for Mr Magnolia.
  
  Geography: Look at the flags in one of the illustrations. Can you find out what/where they represent?
  
  Physical Education: Can you learn to juggle like Mr Magnolia?
  
  PSHE: Look at Mr Magnolia’s body language within each illustration. What does this tell you about how he is feeling at each point?
• 
  Elizabeth Jamieson

  Classic Quentin Blake... absolutely beautiful. Great use of rhyming words too
• 
  Pauline

  Quentin Blake has just been my class author. his books are amazing, so funny and engaging. This was my personal favourite.
• 
  Unprinted

  Mister Magnolia has only one boot. As he goes out and about, with his sister and many animal friends and human friends, he still has only-one-boot. With cute little rhymes, Quentin Blake tells us the story of the magnificent and eccentric Mr. Magnolia – and the only one boot. The illustrations are beautiful and full of charm. Mr. Blake is truly an inspiration, with unique style and poise in his scruffy traces. This is a lovely book in many ways, but especially regarding the way it looks.