Cynthia Rylant writes the wonderful Henry and Mudge series about a boy and his lovable dog. My youngest and I have been enjoying the books since the summer but it was only last week that I spied her Mr. Putter & Tabby Catch the Cold. To think they were sitting there the whole time and I, for whatever reason, overlooked them.
Mr. Putter is getting older and when he begins to wish for a companion to share a cup of tea with and to tell his stories to, he sets out to find a friend just like himself...with creaky bones, thinning hair and with hearing not quite as good as it used to be. He finds Tabby and they suit one another perfectly.
After finishing Mr. Putter & Tabby Catch the Cold, my youngest and I looked at one another and we were wearing the same wide, goofy grin that comes with instant book love. Since that first read, we returned to the library and grabbed up all the books in the series we could find. Rylant's fantastic stories accompanied by Arthur Howard's charming illustrations make for great reading at any age. I have counted eighteen different adventures ranging from the quiet scenes of writing a book to the rascally Zeke (Mr. Putter's neighbor's dog) raising a raucous on his daily walks...I just hope our library system has them all...or I will have to use that as an excuse to add them to our personal library.
11 comments:
My daughter loved the Henry and Mudge books, and I bet she'd enjoy this one, too. Thanks for the review!
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
I love Mr. Putter & Tabby and Henry & Mudge. And Frog & Toad!
Again, more children's books that I haven't come across. I do enjoy reading what you're reading with yours - I sometimes struggle to choose books for my young cousins as I don't have enough experience of what is good for that sort of age - sometimes an adult browsing isn't enough - you need someone to try and test them! I shall look out for these.
ooh, I think my son would love this. The books sound adorable. I'll check it out!
This brings back memories! We enjoyed so many of Rylant's books over the years - from Henry and Mudge, to Mr. Putter & Tabby, and Poppleton. I love having teens, but I do miss the children's books!
Oh, this sounds wonderful. And it explains older age in a way I've never thought of before - 'to find a friend just like himself.' Maybe this is why people settle into condo developments which are just for their age group. Maybe there comes a time when what we need is just someone to be there, to understand in a quiet way, rather than the stimulation of youth. I'll search out these books. Thank you. Have you read her Children of Christmas? This is one of my favorite Christmas books, and I plan to read it again, and write about it this Christmas season. Amazon, and Barnes & Noble do not have any new copies but you may get used copies through them. Also the fantastic fiction site offers some used options:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/r/cynthia-rylant/children-of-christmas.htm
I can hardly bear it that a book this good is out of print. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Simply wonderful, and a different kind of Christmas story for children and adults alike.
Anna - If she loves Henry and Mudge, I do think she would loves these just as much if not more:)
Charley - I am with you on all three and I love that my daughter loves them as well. I wonder if Rylant ever thought of doing a series on Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke...
verity - I completely understand the challenge of finding a great book especially when giving as a gift because you just want it to be a perfect match. I think the wonderful thing about Mr. Putter and Tabby is that an adult can enjoy them and the main character has a love of books and reading that is easy to identifiy with.
The Literary Stew - If you try them , I do hope they are a match:)
JoAnn - I haven't read any of the Poppleton books yet but I will be on the lookout on our next trip to the library. Our daughters are ten years apart, so I didn't really realize how much I missed reading children's books until my youngest came along. But it is absolutely amazing how many children's books are published...there is always something new and wonderful out there as well as rereading all of our favorites.
I love to read books for childdren and have liked Henry & Mudge for a long time. Mr. Putter .... sounds priceless! thanks for the tip!
Nan - I thought that was so sweet...that their paces matched with the cat often hitching a ride wrapped around Mr. Putter's neck. I haven't heard of Children of Christmas. Thank you for directing me to it and I will be on the lookout (just joined ebay where I found some wonderful editions of Miss Read, so they may have this one as well). It always makes me a little sad when great books are out of print. I will let you know if I have any luck.
Sharon - You're welcome:)
Thanks for sharing that adorable image of you and your daughter finishing her story with a grin. I woke up with a head cold this morning, something in common with Mr Putter!
Darlene - Mr Putter has a neighbor, her name is Mrs. Teaberry and she has an adorable dog Zeke. In this particular book Zeke plays an important role in Mr Putter getting better...maybe you will also have that in common...an adorable dog helping you to feel a little better;) Hope this head cold passes and you are on the mend quickly!
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