Toot & Puddle - Bringing Christmas home!

From Let it Snow by Holly Hobbie (Little, Brown 2007) | © 2007 by Hollie Hobbie — From *Let it Snow* by Holly Hobbie (Little, Brown 2007) | © 2007 by Hollie Hobbie

“The first snowfall had turned Woodcock Pocket into a sparkling wonderland. Everything was ready. Everything was perfect.”

— I'll Be Home For Christmas, Holly Hobbie

For people of a certain age, the name Holly Hobbie instantly conjures up a cat-loving girl in an over-sized bonnet.

The character (who bore her creator's name) was a 1970's sensation. I am so glad the real-life Holly Hobbie didn't get pigeon-holed by the phenomenal success of her creation. Because she went on to create the endearing book characters, Toot & Puddle!

The piglet pals have a 'caring, odd-couple rapport' (think Frog and Toad or Chalk & Cheese) - and they are irresistibly charming. They are also very different from one another. Toot loves to travel (fans of the series will spot him in such far-flung places as Mont Blanc, Egypt and the Solomon Islands). Puddle, on the other hand, is a homebody. Their home at Woodcock Pocket is 'such a perfect place to be that Puddle never wanted to go anywhere else'. And having spent time with the books, I totally get it!

It's their different personalities which form the basis for many of the stories, which all celebrate true friendship.

As Publishers Weekly notes: ‘Children will be reassured by the message that friends can have different interests and still enjoy one another.’

I first discovered Toot & Puddle in the public library - and they blew me away! To say Hobbie is a skilled watercolourist is an understatement. Her techniques for capturing light and shade and atmosphere is superb. I work a lot in watercolour and know what an unforgiving (and happily haphazard) medium it can be. Hobbie's paintings are masterful - and hugely inspiring to me.

Toot and Puddle, with their big, flappy ears, are so expressive! ‘Subtle facial expressions and childlike poses (and outfits) render the diminutive, piglet pair instantly endearing.’ (Publishers Weekly)

From I'll Be Home for Christmas by Holly Hobbie (Little, Brown 2001) | © 2001 by Hollie Hobbie — From *I'll Be Home for Christmas* by Holly Hobbie (Little, Brown 2001) | © 2001 by Hollie Hobbie

Hobbie generously gave us two Christmas-themed Toot & Puddle books (I'll Be Home For Christmas and Let it Snow). In this article I’ll explain why they're my Good to Read recommendations this week.

I'll Be Home For Christmas by Holly Hobbie (Little, Brown & Company 2001) sees Toot off on his travels.

This time, he's in Scotland, visiting an ancient Aunt! His postcard home sets up the premise for the book:

P.S. I'll be home for Christmas.

And in the spirit of just about any feel-good Christmas movie you could name, it's going to take more than cancelled flights, blizzards and snowdrifts to prevent Toot from making it home in time.

Toot hiked far from the city. The night was cold and the snow was deep. He trudged on until, at last, he could go no further.

Hugging himself to keep warm, Toot takes hold of the lucky nut in his pocket - a special gift from Great-Great-Aunt Peg.

(The scene reminds me of the time Pa Ingles gets lost in a four-day blizzard (On the Banks of Plum Creek). He survives by eating his daughters' Christmas candy - before being reunited with his family on Christmas Eve. ("But by jinks," Pa says, "I brought the oysters home!"))

As with the Little House series (and again, countless Christmas movies) Home for Christmas celebrates the kindness of strangers. In this case, it's Santa who helps out by giving Toot a ride on the last leg of his journey home. What's rather charming is that the pigs seem oblivious to the kind stranger's identity!

Toot told his friend of his adventure and how he finally got back to Woodcock Pocket.
"I loved the sleigh ride," he said. "It felt like we were flying."
"I wonder who that driver was," said Puddle.

When Home for Christmas is read aloud, it feels a little staccato. There are pages where there is no text at all, and the illustrations tell the story. There are pages where the text is little more than a caption ('Meanwhile… at Woodcock Pocket') to provide context to the illustration. It makes the reader's job more challenging, true. But don't let that put you off. Because it will also makes for a really satisfying book to share, one-on-one with your child. There's plenty for you to discuss and explore in the illustrations. Sometimes, a little more effort is called for - but your storytime will feel even more intimate.

Let it Snow by Holly Hobbie (Little, Brown & Company 2007) is the final book in the Toot & Puddle series. And it seems Toot has learned his lesson, because this time he’s taking no chances - he’s at home in Woodcock Pocket as the preparations begin.

Let it Snow with a vignette of Puddle. He’s staring forlornly at unused snow paraphernalia (shovel, sledge, snowshoes and skis).

Christmas was just around the corner, and Puddle hadn't seen a single snowflake yet.

Immediately we have two open story loops.

1. What shall I get for my best friend?'

2. When will it snow?

It's the second question that kids relate to the most. So it is the one that Hobbie resolves first (while exploring that present problem along the way). I remember how my own kids empathised with the pigs. The southwest of England is where we live - and it's not famous for its snow. So, when will it snow? was a frequently fielded question.

About half way through the book, it happens!

'The snow that had been silently falling through the night now blanketed everything with a hushed, gleaming luster', writes Hobbie. Such beautiful prose - it compliments her atmospheric paintings perfectly. The following day, the pigs go off skiing through the woods.

"I wish I could take this morning and put it in my pocket and keep it forever[," said Puddle.]
"Me, too," Toot sighed. "It's perfect."

But their dreams of a white Christmas are shattered overnight by torrential rain. The following morning, 'the glorious snow was gone.'

Hobbie captures the piggy pals' disappointment so beautifully. And the way she handles the rain is genius! It's as if we are looking at Toot and Puddle through a rain-smeared window (precisely the same effect the glum pigs would have). She captures the moment (and a very wet Woodcock Pocket) perfectly.

This is a surprising twist for a Christmas story. But it leaves us, of course, with the vexing question of what to give your best friend for Christmas?'

[Toot] knew that the best present was usually something you made yourself, a one-of-a-kind thingamajig, not just a whatsit anyone could buy in a store.

I love Hobbie's use of language!

The story, notes Kirkus Review, 'has a touching and gently expressed theme of the joy of giving to others on Christmas, rather than anticipating one's own presents.' It ends with the friends presenting their gifts:

a go-kart with skis: "It's for sledding - snow or no snow."
and a painting: "It's you and me. … That snowy day in the woods."

I could pour over Hobbie's illustrations for hours. There are so many subtleties - from the heavy snow blanketing branches to flurries of icy snowflakes driven by the wind. Puffs of warm piggy breath on cold air. The bright, warmth of sunlight and lamps; the cool shades of snow at night. They are full of lovely little touches. Hot embers crackling up the chimney, cold coals around the hearth; sticky-taped parcels; flurries of icy snowflakes and a basket of pine cones.

Hobbie's work is often described as winsome. When I first read my own work being described as such, I cringed (I thought it was a slur)! Now I take it as a compliment. Merriam Webster defines winsome as 'generally pleasing and engaging ... a childlike charm and innocence. Cheerful, lighthearted.'

I think those are pretty good qualities for a picture book to have. So I'm pleased to be put in the same camp as Toot & Puddle!

STORIES WORTH SHARING: Let it Snow! And I'll Be Home For Christmas!

These Toot & Puddle books are Good to Read because they:

Capture that seasonal glow and warmth that make Christmas feel so special
Celebrate the importance of family and friends
Model kindness
Encourage visual literacy - and conversation about the story.
The art is first-rate - packed full of expressive piggies
With more complex language, these are great transitional books for children moving into longer fiction

(Let it Snow and I'll Be Home For Christmas are part of the 12 part' Toot & Puddle' series - all of which I highly recommend.)