Inventor McGregor
A Picture Book by Kathleen T. Pelley
Illustrated by Michael Chesworth
"Hector McGregor lived in a higgledy-piggledy house with a cheery wife, five children, and a hen called Hattie."
Because he can invent just about anything to make the world a little better, folks call him Inventor McGregor. In between his work, he likes to stroll down the winding lane behind his house, where he sings a snippet of a song, paints a picture, and twirls a whirl of a fling.
But when he takes a real job in the city away from his daily distractions, Inventor McGregor finds it's not so easy to invent. Deprived of his usual diversions, he discovers the true source of his inspiration...
Resources
Kathleen reading Inventor McGregor:
DOWNLOAD an Educators Guide (PDF)
Rob McNealy interviews Kathleen about Inventor McGregor
BUY THE BOOK
IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers
Hardcover Picture Book (ages 4-8), March 2006, ISBN: 9780374336067
Praise
Bank Street Best Book
Colorado Book Award Winner
"Pelley is a native of Scotland, and her text is peppered with colorful expressions... There is a natural lilt to the language that lends it a folkloric quality... This charming tale could be coupled with Uri Shulevitz's The Treasure (Farrar, 1979) for a discussion of appreciating what lies directly in front of you."
—School Library Journal
"The sprightly pastel drawings are as lighthearted as the text, which bursts with creative energy."
—Kirkus Reviews
"In an uproarious picture book... Preschoolers will love the nonsense of the contraptions, beautifully captured in the sound and the rhythm of the storytelling, with short, sharp sentences about how McGregor fixes squeaky skates, wobbly wagons, tangled kites, knotted yo-yos, headless dolls, and footless soldiers. The wild, double-page watercolor spreads celebrate the farcical gadgets the inventor uses as they show the gluing and oiling and hammering of his work and his joyful home."
—Booklist
"Kathleen T. Pelley brings her Scottish sensibility to this rousting tale about an inventor who learns that the diversions he loves so dearly are the very things that make him so inventive. Buoyed by the energetic, cartoonlike illustrations of Michael Chesworth, this fun, light-hearted tale offers a wonderful life lesson... "
—Rocky Mountain News
"Snappy storytelling and lively illustrations convey how disorder and diversions inspire an oasis of creativity while a sterile environment can be like a desert for an inventive mind."
—Michael Chesworth
"...a delightful tale... Not only is Inventor McGregor one of the best books I've ever read on creativity, it's a story that I hope becomes one that influences a generation of young readers to opt for the joyfully jobless life. I'm going to donate a copy to my grandchildren's personal library right away. Even if you don't have a child to read it with, find a copy and treat yourself. After all, it would be a shame to miss a story that's as wise as it is whimsical."
—Buon Viaggio blog
