Review by Booklist Review
PreS.^-Gr. 2. Carrying on the series tradition of loony literalism, this volume tells of the mishaps that occur when Amelia Bedelia helps out at the doctor's office. As she answers the phone and tends to the children, her mistakes and misunderstandings entertain some patients and infuriate others. She wins everyone over, though, by treating the patients to ice cream. The jokes and puns have the broadness of vaudeville humor but are innocent enough for the stage of an elementary school auditorium. Well-attuned to the text, Sweat's cheerful ink-and-watercolor illustrations heighten the fun. Good fare for young readers old enough to catch the jokes. --Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"I hear a ringing in my ears." "A ringing? Maybe you should answer the doorbell." The inimitable housekeeper helps out at the doctor's office and stirs up trouble in Calling Doctor Amelia Bedelia by Herman Parish, illus. by Lynn Sweat, the fourth title penned by Peggy Parish's nephew. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-2-Parish continues the series in the wacky tradition of his aunt, Peggy Parish. Dropping by her doctor's office on a busy day, Amelia Bedelia is asked by the nurse to help out until the doctor returns from the hospital. The literal-minded maid winds up fielding phone calls from patients, infuriating one and all as she interprets their symptoms incorrectly. Finally, the doctor arrives to find her office full of irate patients. Amelia Bedelia saves the day by treating everyone to ice cream. A realistic situation? Of course not. It's just another romp with the world's most clueless domestic. As always, Sweat's color drawings perfectly capture the wild goings-on. A lively addition to the series.-Lisa Smith, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary) Just the thought of Amelia Bedelia in charge of a doctor's office should be enough to send malpractice insurance through the roof. It should also send Maid Malaprop's many fans to the pages of her newest adventure, where they will find her giving Nurse Ames a hand in the doctor's absence. Or, to be more exact, as Amelia Bedelia tells Ms. Ames, ""Both my hands are attached to me. But I would be glad to help you."" And help she does, by fielding telephone inquiries from patients who have hives (""'That's great!' said Amelia Bedelia. 'I'll bet you have honey'"") or have caught a bug (""I hope you let it go. Bugs can bite""). Sweat's illustrations corroborate the jokes (Andy, for example, ""draws"" his own blood with a red magic marker). In the requisite ending for books in this series, Amelia Bedelia gains forgiveness through food: she treats her patients to ice cream and her long-suffering employer, Mr. Rogers (now in bed with chickenpox), with homemade chicken soup. Along the way, she treats beginning readers to a large dose of the best medicine available-laughter. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Amelia Bedelia fans will welcome her return as she makes a hash out of helping out at the doctor's office. Amelia volunteers to help mind Dr. Horton's office while the doctor is away, thus giving her the opportunity to lay waste one idiomatic medical expression after another. As is her way, Amelia takes everything at face value, which manages to amuse the children and pique the adults. One man calls the doctor's office to complain of ringing in his ears: "A ringing? Maybe you should answer the doorbell," Amelia suggests. Amelia fields another call from a woman: "I've caught some kind of bug." Amelia recommends to "let it go. Bugs can bite." "Draw blood," "check a temperature," "take a test"-somebody get her to stop. While her literalness allays the fears of young kids, it winds up having a company of irate phone callers descend upon the doctor's office. All is saved when the ice-cream man arrives: "I told you I was treating your patients," Amelia explains to Dr. Horton, after she's rushed back to the office on hearing the news of Amelia's involvement. Sweat's appealing pen-and-watercolor art works at times like a rebus, helping young readers understand Amelia's take on the idiom. But there is little by way of story here. Parish has aimed instead for a steady-at times relentless-stream of yucks, which turns Amelia into a bit of a robot by erasing her endearing qualities. (Easy reader. 5-7)
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