Brave Martha [Hardcover]

Margot Apple (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 1999 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Martha and her cat Sophie are best friends. Every morning Martha gives Sophie crunchies and milk. And every night Sophie helps Martha get ready for bed. Once Sophie has checked all the scary places-like in the closet and under the bed-Martha knows it's safe to fall asleep. But one night, Martha's parents have company, and the guests bring their dog. When bedtime comes, Sophie cannot be found. How will Martha ever get to bed without Sophie's help? Be brave, Martha!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1 Young Martha lives in a big old house with her mother, father, and cat Sophie. She plays with Sophie throughout the day, and at bedtime the feline leads Martha to her room, checking out the "creepy places" before the child enters. One evening, their routine is interrupted as her parents' company brings along a dog. Since Sophie is nowhere to be found, Martha's father accompanies her to bed. After he leaves, Martha begins to hear noises, that, upon her investigation, reveal familiar objects that she had misplaced. Finally, a scratching noise begins coming from a dresser, and a drawer starts to open, revealing two yellow eyes. Hiding under the covers, Martha hears a "thump, thump, thump" coming toward her, and then something lands on her. You guessed it Sophie. Martha gives her a hug and they both go to sleep. As youngsters will probably figure out what's happening before it is revealed, this story can be used to soothe those with bedtime fears without providing a major fright before the climax. The pencil-and-watercolor illustrations meld with the spare text, accurately reflecting the book's tone in their various shadings. Apple addresses tried-and-true subject matter in an appealing and satisfying tale that will lend itself well to both individual reading and group sharing. Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Martha lives with her parents and her cat, Sophie. It is Sophie's job to check under the bed to make sure there are no monsters. But one night, company comes over and brings a dog. Sophie disappears, and Martha is left to find the monsters on her own. There are some close calls. Martha sees a big hairy paw and hits it with a broom, but it turns out to be a coonskin cap. She sees something with horns in the closet and flashes her light on it, but it turns out to be a stuffed animal. Then Martha sees two glowing eyes in the dresser--and it turns out to be Sophie. The familiar monster-under-the-bed theme gets a few twists here. Kids will expect each scare to be Sophie; by the time she appears, little ones may be surprised anew. Apple's artwork is always kid friendly, and this book is no exception. The watercolor-and-pencil pictures play to the humor and use nighttime colors and varied perspective to heighten the tension. Simple yet appealing. Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (September 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395594227
• ISBN-13: 978-0395594223
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,019,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margot Apple is a freelance illustrator, having illustrated more than fifty books for children while also producing illustrations for "Cricket" and "Ladybug" magazines. She now lives in Shelburn Falls, Massachusetts, with her husband and their pets, a dog and a cat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Vividly illustrated, June 25, 2010

By 

DeeDee Fox "Dee Dee Fox" (Rapid City, SD, US) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Brave Martha (Hardcover)

Brave Martha is the story of a little girl who shares each bed-time with her friend, and pet, Sophie, the cat. Martha's evening ritual includes her cat who always leads the way and helps make sure `the coast is clear', as she looks here and there for things that go bump in the night. One night, Sophie is detained and Martha is forced to go to bed without her faithful friend, Sophie. The nervous anticipation Martha experiences that night is on par with any young child's vivid imagination as she conjures up a number of supposed things or creatures to be feared. The story has a little twist at the end when Martha discovers that the sourse of all the scratching sounds she's been hearing are actually caused by her good friend and cat, Sophie.
The illustrations in this book are delightful.

~DeeDee Fox, Author of The Ruby Red Slippers

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, February 5, 2009

By 

Becca G. (Lebanon, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brave Martha (Hardcover)

We first discovered this book at our local library. My 2.5 year old daughter immediately identified with Martha and her relationship with her beloved cat, Sophie. Even after returning the book to the library, my daughter continued to make reference to "brave Martha" whenever she was a little scared and needed a little extra confidence. So we decided to add it to our permanent collection.

The concepts are simple and the amount of text is just right (a small paragraph per page) for an older toddler or pre-schooler.