Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 1-2. Mr. Putter, a lonely old man, finds a friend in Tabby, an elderly cat he gets from the pound. Kids are introduced to the characters in Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea. In Walk the Dog, cat and owner offer to walk a dog for an incapacitated friend, but the dog turns out to be a little more than they bargained for. It's hard not to compare these titles to Rylant's Henry and Mudge books (see box above), and in fact, the characters do seem like senior-citizen versions of Henry and Mudge. The stories are pleasant enough, however. Rylant's language, as always, makes kids want to read more, and the art is delightful. Watercolor-and-ink pictures squeeze every bit of life and humor out of the stories. Solid fare for easy-reading shelves. ~--Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-From a neighborly distance, Zeke seems to be a ``dream dog.'' So, when Mrs. Teaberry, his owner, hurts her foot, her friend Mr. Putter does not hesitate to volunteer to walk him. At the end of a leash, however, the little bulldog is a ``nightmare.'' He tugs, tangles, and chases ``big dogs.'' Mr. Putter, always accompanied by his cat, resorts to bribes of just the sort (ice cream, swimming pools, carnivals, and zoos) that tempt children to good behavior. Mr. Putter at last returns Zeke, and he and Tabby celebrate. This beginning-reader chapter book has a brief text (with a few words readers might have to stretch for), plenty of repetitive phrases, and lots of visual clues. Howard's illustrations are breezy, watercolor-and-pencil cartoons that extend the humor and give comic life to the mischievous canine, the earnest cat, and the hapless humans. Another winner from Rylant.-Meg Stackpole, Rye Free Reading Room, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Two volumes tell the story of a lonely bachelor and his new companion, Tabby. In the first book, Mr. Putter adopts Tabby, an old yellow cat, and in the second adventure, Mr. Putter and Tabby agree to take a rambunctious bulldog for a walk every day for a week. The funny and endearing stories are illustrated in watercolor and pencil in a cartoon style. From HORN BOOK 1994, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
