Help Me, Mr. Mutt!: Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems (Hardcover)

by Janet Stevens (Author), Susan Stevens Crummel (Author) "Do I look fat?..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bonaparte Blvd, Canine Counselor

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 2–4—With tongue firmly in cheek, the dynamic Stevens sisters have crafted a multilayered story that looks at various situations in the life of an average dog. Through a series of letters to Mr. Mutt, a doggie version of Dear Abby, the text invites readers to learn about the tribulations of "Underplayed in Utah" or "Famished in Florida" and the encouragement they garner from their correspondences. Each letter has its own distinctive style depending on the complaint and the writer's personality but all end with a postscript that refers to the treatment or behavior of cats in the household. Mr. Mutt ends each reply with his own postscript that refers to the cat that shares his home. Here, the book rises to another level of humor with the inclusion of additional commentary from "The Queen," the supremely superior feline who keeps Mr. Mutt in his place. The tension between them builds throughout the letters until a physical confrontation occurs near the end of the story. Mr. Mutt's replies to the dogs in distress include many sketches of "illustrated tips" as well as a variety of graphs to substantiate the advice. While the story will find fans in the primary grades, its most appreciative audience will be among more sophisticated readers who will recognize the amount of effort that went into this creative venture. It's a great read just for fun, and teachers will find a wealth of ways to incorporate it into lessons on letter writing, newspapers, and presenting information through graphs.—Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
Every dog has its rough day now and then, which in this high-energy picture book calls for a letter to Mr. Mutt, Canine Counselor. Whether addressing a dog put on a diet by his people, or a pooch who's scolded for barking too much, Mr. Mutt offers a written note of nuts-and-bolts advice (to the hungry dog, he recommends searching the trash, etc.) and anti-cat commentary. His snooty, tiara-wearing cat companion, The Queen, takes issue with his "catty remarks," writing rebuttals on pink stationery. Similar to Mark Teague's Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience Schoolin both theme and epistolary format, this sister act's (The Great Fuzz Frenzy) effort lacks LaRue's narrative flow and clever situational humor. Stevens's mixed-media scenes of the pets' ultimate altercation contain the most fun: The Queen demonstrates her prowess with a digitally manipulated ball of yarn as she, taking umbrage at a feline insult, keeps her canine cohort too "tied up" to help his correspondents out  (Publishers Weekly )

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152046283
• ISBN-13: 978-0152046286
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,382 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you will LOVE this book!!!! hilarious, beautiful-- perfect for ANY dog lover, young or old :), April 13, 2008

By	N. Ferguson "Two, Daisy, Hannah, and Kitten" (Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an absolutely wonderful book!!!!

A hilarious guide for dogs facing a host of common problems: humans who want them to go on doggy diets, humans who think dog costumes are a good idea, humans who think dogs should sleep on the floor, etc.!

So funny, and so very beautifully illustrated! I really appreciate children's book illustration, and this book sets the very highest standard for art and humor.

This would be a wonderful gift for any adult or child who loves a dog.

Twenty thumbs up!!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sound Parenting Advice--If You're a Dog, March 30, 2008

By	Craig Case (Oklahoma City) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First of all, it shouldn't be Mr. Mutt; it should be DR. MUTT because what we have here is sound parenting advice for dogs stuck in a world of clueless humans and arrogant cats. Following the good Dr.'s advice, dogs of all breeds can make their lives infinitely more enjoyable. Here we learn about various means of "obtaining" people food which is much tastier than the bagged styrofoam that dogs are forced to consume. We also learn about the mulitple uses for the toilet--not only as a source of liquid refreshment but also as a dunk tank for kitties. Caution to cats: you don't want to look at this. I would suggest that you find your own book--you don't fare too well here.
This will be one of the 10 funniest books I'll see this year (and it's only March). It's an absolute joy. 5 Stars each for the authors and 5 more for the book--that's 15 stars and they've earned every one of them.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CALLING ALL DOGS, April 5, 2008

By	Gwynne C. Spencer (Monmouth, Oregon) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It all starts with a weener dog on a forced diet; she's writing to Mr. Mutt to ask if she looks fat. Mr. Mutt's answer is, "Of course not!" He also recommends the doggie food pyramid which of course has no place in it for dry dog food. Because Mr. Mutt is a nationally known authority on interspecies understanding, he launches his canine counseling business as a way to help other dogs with people problems, writing out of his home in Dogwood, Delaware. He suggests ways small dogs using teamwork can obtain a wider diet option from atop the counters, and helpfully shares tips on how to encourage the baby to yield up extra treats. This book sounds like my dogs wrote it! The Cat (aka Her Majesty) interjects a note of her own after each reply from Mr. Mutt. Another dog seeks a way to fulfill his cravings for more Frisbee, less television from his people. A basset hound writes to complain about being dressed up by the kids, and Mr. Mutt advises three options (rip-and-run, play dead, grin and bear it) including how to get the kids to dress up the cat instead. Then a letter from a barker who is chastised for noisiness. Mr. Mutt's response includes illustrations of the human and dog brain (guess which is bigger) and other sound advice. A desperate note from a stinky cowdog, a few more repartees from the cat, and next thing you know Mr. Mutt is all tied up. Queenie the Cat takes over the advice column, and 101 woofers have to storm the house, come to Mr. Mutt's rescue, and get that pesky feline out of the picture. The Stevens team (mother-daughter) has captured the funniest expressions on the doggy faces, and insured that Mr. Mutt is destined for fame. Coincidentally , in the Salem Statesman Journal there is a weekly column written--allegedly--by a Rottie and a Poodle! This book would be a great start to a unit on advice columns and newspaper features for upper graders who could write their own Dear Abby and Dear Heloise columns from the dogged-point-of-view (imagine Walter the Farting Dog doing an etiquette column?) It would be fun to use with students in all grades because the various charts and graphs developed by Mr. Mutt lead students into basic math skills lessons; use it as a basis for a unit on letter writing, or nutrition, or geography (all the letters are postmarked). For the younger kids, the back cover includes a list of "hidden pictures" to find in the book, including tennis balls, actual dog hair, pink bunny years and lots and lots of dogs. What a fun book! This gets my WOOF WOOF WOOFER AWARD for funny, and is likely to be in high demand in every school and library family lucky enough to own it