The many trials of Mr. Tuggle

At first glance, Mr. Tuggle would appear to be a prim, middle-aged man likely to lead an organized life. Balding and bespectacled, he is a bachelor rooming with a houseful of cats.

Prim he may be, but tidy he is not. One glimpse of his bedroom reveals a tornado-like disaster, with clothes everywhere and drawers askew. Poor Mr. Tuggle can’t find his hat to save his soul although young readers will enjoy finding several hats scattered around his room. He heads to work without a hat, but trouble arises in the park when a bird relieves himself on Mr. Tuggle’s head. To protect himself, Mr. Tuggle folds a newspaper into a hat and proudly and obliviously wears it on the bus ride home, as fellow commuters eye him warily.

This scenario repeats itself, as Mr. Tuggle can’t find his shoes, then his shirt, then his umbrella. Each time, Mr. Tuggle is forced to improvise, prompting ridicule, and then fear from those around him. Eventually, the other bus riders move to the rear, and, finally, Mr. Tuggle rides the bus alone, unaware of the stir he’s creating.

Lee Ann Blankenship moves this appealing story along crisply, while Karen Dugan’s colorful watercolors are full of humor. Readers will chuckle at the strange sight of Mr. Tuggle in his homemade newspaper hat and cardboard box shoes. In one scene, two punk girls gawk at him, unaware that they’re a strange sight themselves in wild, pointed shoes and spiky hair.

In the end, Mr. Tuggle realizes the error of his sloppy ways. Spotting his reflection in a window and seeing how silly he looks, he hightails it home and cleans up his act. All appears to have been solved, but, of course, Mr. Tuggle can’t shake off his disorganization completely. Kids will delight in the last page as Mr. T. walks down the street, unaware that he’s forgotten his pants.

No doubt you may know such a lovable but absent-minded soul or, worse yet, Mr. Tuggle may remind you of yourself. If so, double-check the mirror before you leave home!