Little Messy Marcy Su written in rhyme by Cherie Fu and illustrated with energetic colors and facial expressions by Julie Kwon is a fun-filled story about a little girl who doesn’t seem able to keep her room in good order----- and what happens when she gives it her very best try!
Marcy Su is outdoors with her dog digging in the dirt to find bugs when her mother tells her to come in and clean her room because her grandparents are coming over and she should make a good impression.
Once inside Marcy Su goes to the laundry room and throws everything out of the washer so she can wash her own clothes. Then she decides to vacuum her room but fails to understand that in the next room the twice-tangled cord of the vacuum is turning furniture over, pulling pictures off the wall and causing lamps to fall and break. The biggest mess is yet to come as she and her dog take a bubble bath and pay no attention to the water that’s spelling on the floor!
Marcy Su is proud of her clean self, and clean bedroom. But her mother is shocked when she sees the mayhem elsewhere in the house. Then the front doorbell rings and in comes her grandparents. Marcy Su eagerly takes them into her room. Grandma is proud of how neat everything is and says, “But the rest of the house---it looks like a zoo! Why can’t others be more like you?”
Little Messy Marcy Su presents delightful pictures of a common childhood problem----- keeping one’s room in order. The illustrations will capture the heart of readers 4-8 years of age. The Back Material features the pronunciation of ten Mandarin words used throughout this story (Little Brown and Company 2021).
The Children’s Bookshelf is a production of WCMU. Links to the podcast and the Activity Questions can be found at Children’s Bookshelf dot org.
Activity Questions for Little Messy Marcy Su
Please go and look at your bedroom—go ahead. Are there clothes on the floor? Are your books scattered about? Are toys here and there and everywhere? Where are your stuffed animals or dolls or truck collections? Are there any gum wrappings, candy bars, water bottles or homework pages on the floor? Where is your homework assignment? Now draw a picture of your bedroom that shows how messy or how organized it is. Feel free to add other items.
The end papers of this book contain many wonderful small drawings that are also in the book’s illustrations. Hunt though the end papers for the following 14 items: a hat for a witch, a teddy bear, muddy boots, a toy truck, a slinky toy, a soccer ball, a scarf, an upside- down unicorn, flowers, paintbrushes, a jump rope, a hairbrush, a knitted snow hat and a puzzle box.
Marcy Su has a yellow dog with her most of the time as this story unfolds. What role do you see him play in this story? Is he her dog? Is he her playmate? From the role he plays in this story give him a name. Be creative---the name can be serious or funny.
