Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was published in 1947. It was Betty MacDonald’s first novel for children; she had previously focused on comedic memoir. MacDonald had two children, Anne and Joan, and lived for many years in a small island community outside of Seattle where she interacted with neighbors’ children, as well as her own, frequently. These experiences inspired her to write Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle as well as three sequels. A middle-grade novel, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle centers on the eccentric title character, who lives in an upside-down house and is friends with all the children in the community. She knows everything about children and recommends seemingly absurd but ultimately effective “cures” to their bad behavior ailments. Some of the novel’s key themes are that Bad Behavior Doesn’t Negate Intrinsic Goodness, The Creation of Everyday Magic, and the Role of Community in Parenting. The novel was much later succeeded by a fourth sequel, Happy Birthday, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (2007), which was completed by MacDonald’s daughter, Anne, based on her mother’s notes, and a spinoff co-authored by MacDonald’s great-granddaughter, which focused on Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s great-niece, Missy Piggle-Wiggle. The novel was adapted into a 1990 musical and a 1994 TV series.

This guide refers to the 1987 Scholastic print edition.

Plot Summary

The first chapter of the novel introduces the eponymous Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, who lives in an upside-down house and says her husband was a pirate who buried treasure in the backyard and then died. She is friends with all the children in the neighborhood and lives with her dog, Wag, and her cat, Lightfoot. The chapter recalls the origins of her friendship with the neighborhood children. One day, when Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is wishing she had someone to invite for tea, she sees a young girl crying outside and invites her in. Mary Lou has run away from home because she hates to wash dishes. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is shocked and tells Mary Lou that she loves dishes because she pretends she is a princess and must clean them before an evil witch comes to inspect her work. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Mary Lou play the game while they clean the tea things. Afterward, Mary Lou brings a friend to visit Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and soon, all the neighborhood children begin coming over. After the introductory chapter, each subsequent chapter focuses on one of the neighborhood children who develops a bad behavior ailment and how they respond to the “cure” Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle suggests.

In Chapter 2, Mrs. Prentiss is frustrated because her son, Hubert, has many wonderful toys that he refuses to put away. She calls other mothers in the neighborhood for advice. Eventually, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle instructs Mrs. Prentiss to stop cleaning Hubert’s room for him and to call her back when he becomes trapped. When his room gets so messy he can’t leave it, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and the neighborhood children parade by and say they are going to the circus. Hubert cleans his room to escape and joins the others.

Chapter 3 centers on Mary O’Toole, who has begun to behave impudently and answer back whenever anyone asks her to do something. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lends Mrs. O’Toole her parrot, Penelope. Penelope is also rude and impudent, and Mary soon becomes frustrated by the bird and changes her own behavior.

In Chapter 4, Dick Thompson is the subject of “The Selfishness Cure” after his mother observes him hitting Mary O’Toole on the hand when she tries to take a peppermint stick he has been instructed to share. His mother calls Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, who offers her a “Selfishness Kit.” The cure involves labeling all of Dick’s possessions, down to the sandwiches he eats for lunch, “DICK’S ____—DON’T TOUCH!” The other children at school mock Dick, and no one will play with him. He eventually learns to share with others and changes his selfish ways.

Chapter 5 describes “The Radish Cure,” applied to Patsy after she begins refusing to take a bath. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle tells Patsy’s mother to stop forcing her to bathe and to plant radish seeds on her skin when she develops a thick enough layer of dirt. When Patsy realizes she is growing radishes all over her body, she immediately requests a bath and is cured.

In Chapter 6, “The Never-Want-To-Go-To-Bedders Cure,” siblings Bobby, Larry, and Susan always whine to stay up past their bedtime. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle tells their mother, Mrs. Gray, to stop making them go to bed. The children become increasingly exhausted, eventually failing to enjoy Patsy’s wonderful birthday party because they are so exhausted. They also get trapped in a movie theatre when they fall asleep during a matinee. After that, they decide to change their behavior and beg for an earlier bedtime.

Chapter 7 focuses on “The Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker” cure, which Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle suggests when Allen begins eating tiny portions of food extremely slowly. She gives Allen’s mother a special set of dishes that decrease in size each day. At first, he is amused by his new dishes but eventually becomes exhausted. On the third day, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle calls Allen and tells him it’s his turn to exercise her pony, Spotty. When Allen realizes that he is too weak to ride Spotty, he begins eating normally. The chapter concludes with Allen proudly riding Spotty to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s house to return the dishes.

In Chapter 8, twins Anne and Joan Russell are suffering from Fighter-Quarreleritis. When Mrs. Russell calls Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, she suggests a cure in which Mr. and Mrs. Russell pretend to be Anne and Joan, arguing in the same way as their daughters. After one day, Anne and Joan become upset and tell their parents they can’t stand their arguing. Mrs. Russell tells the twins it’s a habit they must have picked up from Anne and Joan, and the girls begin to get along with each other.