Mortimer

Joan McGrath is a Toronto Board of Education library consultant.

Already a favourite with the little folk in its tiny Annikin format, Mortimer is even funnier as a full-size glossary. The noisy hero of the tale is a tiny child with an enormous voice. Although his mother has put him to bed for the night, he is not resigned to his fate. In fact, he makes so much racket that he arouses his family (including 17 brothers and sisters) and the police, all of whom tell him “MORTIMER, BE QUIET.” They get so excited over the problem that while they argue and fight among themselves downstairs, Mortimer gets bored with waiting to be told to be quiet, and goes sweetly to sleep. Short, silly, and funny.