Review by Booklist Review
When Mr. Putter's neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, proposes that they try ballroom dancing, he reluctantly agrees. Accompanied by Tabby the cat and Zeke the dog, they attend a dance at the Crystal Ballroom. Tabby bats the sparkly lights, and Zeke performs the tango with abandon, while Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry cha-cha-cha. Written with simplicity and understated humor, the story springs to life visually through the strong, energetic pencil drawings brightened with watercolor and gouache. The young audience will enjoy seeing these familiar characters express themselves on and off the dance floor. An upbeat addition to the Mr. Putter and Tabby easy reader series.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
In the twenty-first adventure with Mr. Putter and Tabby, Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke are anxious to try something new -- ballroom dancing. Mr. Putter isnt so sure. He worries about his dignity and pleads old age, two left feet, and to have not danced since 1947. But Mrs. Teaberry knows how to win him: "You are a wonder at everything." Three short chapters have this foursome tearing up the dance floor with Tabby batting at sparkles ("even the ballroom water was sparkly") and Zeke stealing the show. Using a variety of perspectives and expressive lines, the pencil, watercolor, and gouache illustrations bring out each characters delightful personality. Large font, plenty of white space, and a clean design encourage independent reading and make the humor pop. The text of simple and compound words flows beautifully in spite of the uncomplicated sentence structure and deliberate vocabulary. It introduces more challenging words slowly and naturally, which will help readers feel like wonders right along with Mr. Putter. julie roach (c) Copyright 2012. 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.
