Fran Kennedy

The Pickle Patch Bathtub
Children's audio book about how the children have grown so much they no longer fit in the farm tub. Their dad is saving for a new tractor. Mom says no they need money for other things.
Kids go through Sears catalog and find a new tub for $9.25. They figure if they save all their money they'd have enough to buy it. They can also enter contests.
One contest is to grow pickles. Like poem for growing pickles, never heard that one! Month by month we are updated on the progress. Will they ever have enough money for the new tub. Story of why this book was written is included.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).… (mehr)

22. I liked the book “The Pickle Patch Bathtub” by Frances Kennedy. The writing was paced well, as the reader watched as the characters worked for months to grow enough pickled to buy a new bathtub. Pages were filled with illustrations that marked the progress of the growth of the cucumbers and the paintings also did a good job of depicting the small home the Iowan family lived in. The point of view was in third person, which added to the story’s ability to show thoughts from all members of the family. This added to the meaning of the book because it showed the significance of raising money from the perspective of each family member. The author’s note at the end of the story adds to the reader’s understanding of the plausibility of this situation, as the story was based off of the author’s mother’s family. The main message of this story is to work together as a family to raise money during stressful times. Rather than complaining about not having a bathtub large enough for her legs, Donna set out to devise a plan that would help fix their problem.… (mehr)

Donna is beginning to get too ig for her bathtub, but during the time of the Great Depression it is hard for families to save money let alone spending money on items they do not necessarly need. Throughout the story Donna starts to help harvest pickles as a way to save up money to buy her own big bathtub. In the end she saves up the money and gets the tub. This story is a good lesson learner for children. If you work hard enough you can achieve your goal. This story also touches base on family and helping each other out.… (mehr)