Puppy Mudge Wants to Play

PreS-Gr 1—Henry is enjoying a book that's he is reading while his puppy Mudge tries to get his attention. At first, Mudge is subtle, stealing Henry's sock and then chewing on the boy's shoelaces. Soon, the pooch begins to make more obvious statements: sitting on Henry's foot and then on his lap. When Mudge sits right on his book, Henry finally gets the point and plays with the dog. Mudge's realistic dog behavior is hilarious, and kids will get a kick out of seeing and hearing how his techniques quickly escalate. Sucie Stevenson's simple and colorful illustrations are a perfect complement to Rylant's text (Simon Spotlight, 2005). Suzanne Toren's narration is spot-on, and the dog sound effects are perfect. Page-turn signals are optional. Young children will laugh at Mudge's antics, while following along with the early-reader text.—Jenny Ventling, Greene County Public Library, OH