Parents' Guide to

Higglety Pigglety Pop!: or There Must Be More to Life

Book Maurice Sendak Humor 1979
Higglety Pigglety Pop!: or There Must Be More to Life Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Maria Strom , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Moody, droll humor appeals more to adults.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 6+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all
age 5+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Hiperlynx
Hiperlynx Adult
January 5, 2010
age 4+

This was a favorite of mine when I was four. I had a little sister, and possibly the battle to feed the baby in real life added to the charm of this.Additionally, infants are not always fun. Only children may not get it. The reader is to feel empathy for the main character, the dog, not the baby. As they have with Where the Wild Things Are, modern parents seem to over-think this a little bit too much. It is only scary if adults think it is scary; the main character's food obsession adds plenty of comic relief. We know that the baby is not in much danger... her vile disposition almost assures us that if the lion eats her, her will just spit her back out. We can also wonder if Jenny will eat Baby instead, saving the Lion the trouble. Your child's vocabulary is as big as you make it; I love the sentence structure and comic timing in this book, with repeated phrasing and subtle asides. Maybe I did not "get" it all at age four, but it delighted me. The artwork is divine, no bright mishmash of primary shapes and colors here. Where the Wild Things Are is similar....complex illustrations that convey a lot of information without knocking your eyes out. Jan Brett is a modern illustrator who takes detail and beauty above what is popular, and I feel parents should give their kids the ability to enjoy different styles, as long as the story and writing support that...which this does. This book is also a nice gift for adults who have been through rough patches. Inspiring message of following dreams, having integrity and courage, and taking risk rather than settling for what is comfortable.
Max'sMom
Max'sMom Adult
January 29, 2016
age 5+

This book is a masterpiece

This is a remarkable book by one of the greats of children's literature. Its language is inventive, the story telling is funny, quirky and unexpected, and the drawings are mesmerizing. They work not just as illustration but as an introduction to art. This book is timeless. You'll buy it, and will save it forever.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Jennie, a Scottie dog who lives in a cushy setting, packs his bag when he decides \"there must be more to life than having everything.\" He runs into a pig who wears a sandwich board advertising for a leading lady for the World Mother Goose Theatre.

But Pig informs Jennie that she needs experience for such a job, which Jennie proceeds to go get by signing on as a nanny to a baby who won't eat.

A wrong turn in a hallway finds Jennie confronting a lion that wants to turn her into dinner, but the dog's courageous act saves the day and nets her a leading part in the play--but only after it is revealed that the baby is actually Mother Goose and that all the other characters are also actors. The book ends with a rendition of the play Higglety Pigglety Pop.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This fairy tale-like story is moody and full of droll humor, more often to the delight of adults than that of children. The five-line Mother Goose rhyme of the title is the inspiration for this story of a dog leaving home in search of excitement. The tale takes some strange turns, and has some unsettling moments -- such as parents having moved away and forgotten their baby -- that could give readers pause.

The overall look of the book is as old-fashioned as the story itself. Small, crosshatched, black-and-white illustrations are reminiscent of the artwork of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and may not hold the attention of today's readers, who are used to full-color and full-page spreads. Young children may like the dog and other animal characters, but they will not understand the archaic phrasing and may grow impatient with the low picture-to-text ratio.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Jennie's decision to leave home. She seems to have a comfortable life. Why is she restless? What is she looking for?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate