The Pepins and Their Problems by Polly Horvath (J Fiction)

The Pepins and Their Problems

Polly Horvath (J Fiction)

Being a fairly small family, the Pepins seem to have a rather large amount of problems. From frogs in their shoes to a cow that is suddenly producing lemonade to missing cutlery (where did all the forks go???), there doesn’t appear to be an end to the number of problems the Pepins have. But with the help of a telepathically gifted author and projected suggestions from readers from Pottsville, Pennsylvania to Hughes, Alaska and everywhere in between, there seems to be no problem too big that the Pepins can’t solve. That is until a long-lost Pepin arrives who promises to solve ALL of their problems himself. Could this finally be the end to the Pepins’s problems?

This book is outrageous, outlandish, and out and out ridiculous as Polly Horvath delights readers with a story filled with a cow who takes French and algebra lessons, a dog and cat who not only talk, but have been known to fly about in a motorless aircraft, a very fine neighbor, and a not-so very fine neighbor. We see scarf dances, an elaborate neighbor test, an awkward infatuation with a barbershop pole, and a laboratory that would make even Willy Wonka jealous.

The Pepins and Their Problems has a recommended reading age of 8-12, but I fear that a reader over the age of ten will find this book to be too silly and very frustrating at times since some of the problems the Pepins have can easily be solved with a simple question or plain old common sense. This book would be in its element if read out loud allowing young readers to think over and offer up their own solutions.

The thing I love most about Horvath is that she does not write down to her audience (which I seem to say every time I review one of her books) and this is obvious as she tosses out words such as loquaciousness, perspicacious, ruminatively, progeniture, and amalgamation. Definitely have a dictionary close by…you’re going to need it!

Whether they’re stuck on the roof or dealing with a relative who sucks up breadcrumbs through their nose, the Pepins are ever a loving and close-knit family who look upon their problems as blessings in disguise and realize that a happy family already has as many riches as anyone can hope for. Now who, dear reader, could possibly have a problem with that?

Rating: 4/5

* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com

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