Help Me, Mr. Mutt! Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems

Gr 1—4—Mr. Mutt is a bespectacled, slightly pudgy, clearly focused canine counselor who answers letters from other dogs who have misunderstandings with their humans in this entertaining romp (Harcourt, 2008) by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel. He shares his Dogwood abode with The Queen, a haughty feline who wears a tiara. She contributes her distinctly catty point of view on personalized pink stationary along with Mr. Mutt's. The result provides distinctly different perspectives and perceptions that together create laugh-out loud humor. Illustrations are equally funny, extending and sometimes taking over for the text. (There's a great chase scene that is only revealed through newspaper headlines and illustration, for example.) The Stevens sisters read the letters, capturing the tone and attitude of Mr. Mutt and his nemesis, The Queen. Unobtrusive background music enhances the tenor of the text. Page-turn signals are optional. This well-paced, thoroughly engaging, visually entertaining tale is packed with humor that runs the gamut from understated to slapstick.—Maria Salvadore, formerly Washington DC Public Library