Why did Miss Twiggley live in a tree? Why did she send her dog, Puss, out to do the shopping? Why did she always run away and hide when people came to visit? And it was rumored that Miss Twiggley had even more peculiar habits…
 
Old Miss Twiggley, was friendly with bears. “They shed on the sofa,” she said, “but who cares?”
And was it true, as the mayor’s wife had heard, that she actually slept in her hat? “Simply disgraceful!” they said. But when a hurricane hits the town and the water rises, everyone is grateful to Miss Twiggley and her tree. Even better, Miss Twiggley herself learns a very important lesson, with a warm and happy ending.
 
Miss Twiggley’s Tree by Dorothea Warren Fox is a rhyming picture book that tells the story of odd Miss Twiggley. Miss Twiggley was terribly shy. She lived in a tree with her dog Puss, and they did exactly as they liked. The people in town thought Miss Twiggley was strange and gossiped about her strange choice to live high up in a tree. However, when a terrible rainstorm floods the whole town, her tree suddenly looks very appealing. Miss Twiggley, Puss, and a couple of friendly bears prepare the tree for visitors and welcome the townspeople in out of the flood. The flood makes the townspeople are grateful for Miss Twiggley’s house in the tree, and Miss Twiggley learns that helping others helps you not to be shy. The author’s illustrations full of wit and whimsy bring the rhyming lines of this story to vibrant life.
 
What’s the best way to save Western civilization? By reading to your children. Pass this great literary tradition down to your students. You can find Miss Twiggley’s Tree in our First Grade Read-Aloud Set. These are great books that have survived the test of time—books we choose for beauty in prose and content.