Review by Booklist Review
When Mr. Putter's neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, asks him to run a senior marathon with her, he is quite sure that he doesn't want to. But dazzled by the idea of winning a train set, he digs out his sneakers and begins his training regimen by drinking tea with Tabby and touching his knees (toe touching proven to be an unattainable goal). Race day brings a big surprise. Rylant's amusing but affectionate portrayal of Mr. Putter's foibles is well matched by craggy, cartoon-style pencil drawings, brightened with gouache and watercolors. Presented in five short chapters, this is a satisfying entry in the Mr. Putter series.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-One April, Mrs. Teaberry talks her friend into taking part in a marathon for seniors. Mr. Putter says he has "not run anywhere in thirty years" and has forgotten how but he decides to give it a shot since one of the prizes is a train set. He trains a little and has tea with Tabby a lot. On race day he is intimidated by how fit the other racers are and he soon falls to the back of the pack. Tabby and Mrs. Teaberry's dog, Zeke, watch from the top of a car. Unable to stay still, Zeke jumps down and joins the runners, creating chaos and some unexpected results as well. Gently humorous and with underlying messages of friendship and sharing, this is a good addition to the series. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are expressive and enliven the text.-Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA (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
Mrs. Teaberry convinces Mr. Putter to run a senior marathon (he's got his eye on second prize: "a train set with lights and switches and tunnels"). Tabby has her doubts, but Zeke's enthusiasm proves useful to Mr. Putter. Rylant's text is easy to read and satisfying, and Howard's expressive illustrations once again display the four friends' complementary personalities. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
