Mr. Large in Charge (Large Family)

My children grew-up with these "new" classic stories about the Large family. All three of my children are now pretty much grown, but we bought this storybook anyway and all read it, then we borrowed a younger child to read it to, who also just delighted in Jill Murphy's newest book. Buy and enjoy for many, many years of family fun and enjoyment.

When Dad is left in charge all things are different! Great story for all ages - one of those books the children love and adults find it a pleasure to read. Do read the whole series - my very most favourite is Five Minutes Peace it is the tale of every mother with small children!!

I love this series - they're entertaining for kids and adults as well. I always chuckle the first time I read a new-to-me book in the Large family series. They're my daughter's favorite books as well. Get the whole set.

Wonderful

Our daughter loves to repeat everything we say when we read these books to her. I would recommend any of her books!

The stories about the Large family are always humorous with a good touch of reality.

Mrs Large wasn’t feeling very well, but she had lots of chores that needed doing. Mr Large sent her back to bed, telling her that he was in charge for the day and that he, and the children, would do everything that needed to be done.How much rest will Mrs Large get? With noisy screaming children, the littlest elephants keep coming into the bedroom, and lets not forget the burnt lunch. Not a lot it would seem.The Large Family books were first published in the 1980’s. Since then they have grown in popularity, and there was even a TV series based on them.These beloved stories all feature a lovable, normal family (even if they are elephants), comprising of Mr and Mrs Large, and their four children, Lester, Luke, Laura and the baby Lucy.What makes this series a firm favourite is how relatable to real life that they are. I can especially relate to this particular story, because I’m not allowed to be sick as mayhem would break out in my house.Jill Murphy didn’t just write this wonderful book, she also illustrated it, and they are some beautiful illustrations throughout that certainly capture the heart of the story.Preschoolers, and young children will adore this book. The Large Family books have been read by families for many years, and long may it stay that way.Reviewed on Whispering Stories Book Blog*I received a free a copy, which I voluntarily reviewed

Although the charms of the family's affection for each other save this book from suffocating in cliché, you already know what's going to happen: despite everyone's best intentions, both father and children are completely inept at taking care of themselves for ONE DAY while the mother is sick in bed with a cold. The father gets distracted by watching sports on tv while he is making lunch, and he burns it; the baby can't stand to be separated from her mother and has a tantrum; the father injures himself while playing soccer outside with the kids. It's supposed to be humourous, but the small children for whom this book is written may not be able to understand the irony of constantly interrupting the mother the family is supposed to be allowing to rest.The worst part is that it's not fun to read aloud. For example, when the baby throws her tantrum, the text reads: "Mommy, huggy! screamed the baby. "WANT MY MOMMY! BIG HUGGY NOW!" Laura stuffed the baby under her arm and wrestled her out the door. "Don't worry, Mom," she called as she closed the door behind them. "I'll take her down to Dad." "Don't want Dad," bellowed the baby. "Want Mom! WANT MY MOMMY!"Ugh. I try to do the voices, but I don't want to be mimicking a screaming toddler when I am reading bedtime stories. The book wobbles from baby talk ("big huggy" is used a lot in the book) to phrases that might be too difficult for most preschoolers, such as, "Upstairs, Mrs. Large was jolted from the brink of sleep by the astonishing amount of noise blasting up through the floor."So, we have the regressive message that only the mother in the family can competently clean the house, cook the meals, and look after the children. This is exactly what my daughter, who is currently experimenting with claiming to be "too little" to clean her room, wants to believe, so I don't welcome the reinforcement from this book. We have the ironic humour, which will probably go right over the heads of young readers. And we have the difficulty in reading this book aloud.I would have happily overlooked all of these flaws if the book had done something imaginative. Fathers often parent differently than mothers, and they have invaluable experiences to offer. Mr. Large may fail at trying to be Mrs. Large, but his day with the children could have reflected his own parenting interests, as opposed to his incompetence with household chores. Maybe he takes them to a museum, or an art show, or teaches them a new skill, or shows them how something works, or plays a new game with them, or takes them adventuring, or exploring their city, or does any of the millions of awesome things stay-at-home dads do for their kids every day. The stereotype of the father who watches sports on tv and burns dinner has been tiresome since the 1970s.

This one's got a clever story. Love all the large family books. Often a bit sexist and dated (Mr large being completely helpless around the house and Mrs large doing everything) but very whitty and entertaining for my toddlers. Highly recommended.

What super books! This title was missing from the collection. A super read. Thank you Jill Murphy. I loved them as a child and my little one loves them just as much.

This is the best book series I have ever read to my grandson. It encompasses family life in a way that children can identify with. Excellent purchase.

A really lovely story my grandchildren enjoyed even after several readings. Great pictures with good detail.

Absolutely charming series. The Large family are basically all of us.