Publisher's Weekly Review
A handful of perenniel favorites, appropriately, make a comeback this spring. A new generation of fans are likely to welcome Christianna Brand's brassy nanny, sent to tend the "terribly, terribly naughty" children in the Brown clan, in Nurse Matilda: The Collected Tales, a reissue timed for the release of Emma Thompson's film adaptation next month, entitled Nanny McPhee. The trio of titles, which first appeared in the 1960s, includes: Nurse Matilda; Nurse Matilda Goes to Town; and Nurse Matilda Goes to Hospital. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Set in the Edwardian era of nurses, nannies, and governesses, three stories (Nurse Matilda, Nurse Matilda Goes to Town, and Nurse Matilda Goes to Hospital) are collected in this handsome omibus edition. Ardizzone's brilliantly rendered pen-and-ink drawings make this the perfect family read-aloud. A new generation can delight in the Brown children's breathtaking naughtiness. Review 8/68. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Gr. 3-5. Nurse Matilda is a combination of Mary Poppins, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and TV's Super Nanny. The three tales of Nurse Matilda's entanglements with the Brown family, which were published individually in the 1960s, might have languished in out-of-print purgatory were it not for a major motion picture, entitled Nanny McPhee, inspired by the stories. American readers, even those of a certain age, may not be familiar with the Nanny tales, but there's lots to warm up to, including Ardizzone's lively ink drawings, over-the-top events, and the arch, yet understated, British tone (I understand that your children are exceedingly naughty ). And so the Brown children are, mixing up mischief and a bit of violence. One of Brand's funny conceits is that the children are too numerous to be counted, with new ones continually being named. Still, by the third section, in which the children play havoc with several elderly ladies, the bad behavior seems gratuitous and belabored. The book's popularity in the U.S. will probably be tied to the movie's.\b --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2005 Booklist
