Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

Toys are important to the novel’s setting, primarily within child-centric spaces, and they function as a motif throughout the novel. In several instances, toys are represented as central to a child’s behavior problem. Hubert needs the Won’t-Pick-Up-Toys cure, and one of the symptoms of Dick’s selfishness is his refusal to let other children play with his toys. Dick’s cure shows that toys are made more fun when played with in company, however. After the other children have seen the “DON’T TOUCH” signs on his possessions, they refuse to play baseball with him, saying, “We can’t touch anything so let’s go home” (62). Toys, therefore, show the importance of friendship and community to childhood play.

Similarly, toys (and even the absence of toys) relate to the novel’s Creation of Everyday Magic theme. While all the neighborhood children frequent Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s house, very few toys are described in that setting. Aside from the crown and other dress-up apparel mentioned, children at Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s house are described as playing with household objects and elements of the setting, like digging for pirate treasure in the backyard, “camping” around the chandelier, and jumping over the upside-down door frames. Mrs. Prentiss is surprised to learn about Hubert’s interest in building a car from orange crates and tomato cans when he has two fancy toy cars from his grandfather.