Messy Tessy by Leah Orr

Title: Messy Tessy
Author: Leah Orr
Illustrator: Josephine Lepore
Reading Level: Ages 3 – 8
Publisher: Author House, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4389-9398-0

Leah Orr’s book is an enchanting depiction about how kids can become adventurous when they are left alone for a while. Every parent will be able to relate to this story. I know that it really gave me a chuckle because when my niece was really young she was a little bit like Tessy, too.

The story is about a girl, Tessy, who is being baby sat by her Aunt Fran while Mom is away at the gym. Aunt Fran comes in and, before Tess knows it, she is asleep. That’s when Tess’s fun really starts. She does everything that her Mom always told her not to do, such as scatter all of her toys on the floor, write on the walls, applying Mom’s makeup to her face and to all of her dolls. While she was at it, she cut all of her dolls’ hair and applied nail polish to their nails and hair too. Lastly, she painted red streaks in Aunt Fran’s hair while she was asleep on the couch.

When Aunt Fran suddenly woke up, she went straight to Tessy’s room and discovered that there was a real mess that needed to be cleaned up before Mom got home. Aunt Fran bathed Tessy, put all her toys away, and cleaned the walls. When Mom came home she was impressed at how clean Tessy’s room was. As Aunt Fran was leaving, Mom noticed the streaks in Aunt Fran’s hair and the sock that was stuck on to the back of her pants. She
knew then that Tess was up to something while she was away that was less than admirable.

In addition, Orr’s book is wonderfully illustrated by Josephine Lepore, Orr’s Mother. The pictures are so realistic and humourous, illustrating Tess’s and her Aunt’s personality. It is a really funny book, one that both kids and parents won’t be able to put down for too long. I can’t wait to read it to my nieces and nephews.

About the Author: Messy Tessy joins Orr’s two other children’s books, Kyle’s First Crush and Kyle’s First Playdate, written to share the joy and importance of young love and great friendship. Proceeds from the Kyle Series books and a portion of Messy Tessy will be generously donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that affects many children, including Orr’s youngest daughter, as well as adults all over the world.

About the Illustrator: Josephine Lepore lives in Woburn, Massachussets. She is an art teacher at the Nazarro Center in Boston. She teaches Art to kids in the after school program at the Center. She is an accomplished artist. Many galleries in Boston have showcased her work over the years during the summer months.