Books like Five Minutes' Peace
By Jill Murphy
For the parent who has locked a bathroom door and prayed for two minutes of silence, Mrs. Large's doomed quest feels less like fiction and more like documentary. Wry, cozy, and completely relatable, with a gentle comic rhythm.
A pleading, patient parent follows one wildly energetic baby through the ordinary chaos of a day — sandbox, high chair, crib, and everywhere in between — begging for just a little cooperation.
A big sister named Sissy has had it up to here with her two-year-old brother Chooch, who wrecks every family project while their parents just call it "helping" — until she finally yells "Hesdi!"
A mama penguin finds a hat floating in the icy water — and out pops one baby penguin, then another, and another, until she's surrounded by an ever-growing, mischievous family.
When hard times hit the farm, a hired boy is sent off to find his own way — but a runaway Journey Cake leads him on a wild chase that changes everything.
A know-it-all big sister explains exactly what babies are like — they eat books instead of reading them, scream with a special plug in their mouth, and don't even know if they're a boy or a girl.
A grandmother with a mountain of yarn and too many grandchildren shouts 'LEAVE ME ALONE!' and sets off past bears, goats, and aliens — all the way to the moon — just to finish her knitting in peace.
A girl devoted to all things fancy — frilly clothes, sparkly shoes, and the fanciest words she can find — sets out to transform her plain, ordinary family into fancy company for one special evening.
A newly hatched bird tumbles from his nest and sets off alone to find his mother, asking a kitten, a hen, a dog, and even a giant machine called a Snort if they're the one he's looking for.
A young llama gets dragged along on a big shopping trip, and between yucky music, long lines, and too much waiting, he melts down into a full-blown tantrum right in the store.
An elephant king and queen welcome triplets to their family, and the smallest, Alexander, has a habit of wandering into trouble — getting stuck in treetops, even chased by a crocodile.
A little critter spends a special day at the beach with his grandma, navigating sand, waves, and small mishaps while soaking up her patient company.
A boy wakes up with gum in his hair and just knows it's going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day — and from breakfast to bedtime, he's right.
