When Jeremiah Found Mrs. Ming

Caroline M. Hallsworth is a librarian at Cambrian College in Sudbury.

Jeremiah has nothing to do—or so he tells his friend, the delightful
Mrs. Ming. She can think of any number of things for Jeremiah to do. But
what Jeremiah really wants to do is help Mrs. Ming with her chores. Each
chore soon suggests a game, which Mrs. Ming joins with great enthusiasm.
Eventually, the story comes full circle when Mrs. Ming has nothing to do
and Jeremiah suggests their next activity.

The rollicking story of Jeremiah and Mrs. Ming is deceptively simple
yet cleverly constructed. The much-repeated “I have nothing to do”
comes to suggest the chorus of a song and moves the story along with
great verve. Levert has an eye for the ridiculous and her artwork is
perfectly suited to the story.

Mrs. Ming is a wonderful creation—an adult with childlike enthusiasm
and an endearing ability to turn the mundane world on its head. Children
who have met Mrs. Ming will enjoy bumping into her again and again.