73 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The beginning of a wonderful friendship!, March 7, 2001
As of this writing, there are some 20+ Henry & Mug books, each one a small masterpiece. However, this is the one that started it all!!
Everything great or small has it's beginning, and in the beginning of THIS book, which begins, in turn, the whole series, we meet our hero, Henry. Henry lives with mom and dad, but he really doesn't have any friends. No other children live on his block, he doesn't have any brothers or sisters. So, he asks for a dog. That dog is Mudge who swiftly goes from a teeny, handful-sized puppy to the 180-pound pooch we know and love through the rest of the series.
What makes H&M books so wonderful are the bright, simple illustrations that mirror the text and the easy realism of Mudge the dog. Unlike other fictional dogs, Mudge doesn't talk, walk about on his hind legs or save the universe: he is just a big, happy, loving pooch who, like dogs everywhere, is totally dedicated to his pal, Henry. He's like a real dog... a real BIG dog, but a real dog nonetheless. He falls asleep when he's bored, he follows Henry everywhere and is unhappy when Henry's not around, and occasionally he eats things he's not supposed to. Practically any child would love to have a companion like Mudge.
H&M are one of those rare types of books that easily fall between two categories: picture books and chapter books. They're well illustrated and the text is simple and easy to read, but the story is also divided up into chapters (usually three). This makes these books perfect for young readers who may feel that they are starting to move beyond picture books but may not be ready for full-blown chapter books with little or no illustrations. The stories are simple and comfortable and the stuff of everyday life, so a child doesn't need to have a great deal of worldly experience climbing mountains or leaping tall buildings in a single bound to see that reading can be fun.
If you start here with Henry & Mudge, by all means, don't stop here! Go on to enjoy all the other adventures that these two share! You and your children will never be disappointed!
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book, great series!, July 22, 2000
By A Customer
I just wanted to say that I unexpectedly found myself homeschooling my 1st grade son for part of the year and I have no idea what I would have done without Henry and Mudge! The series has really gotten my son's reading off the ground. We have read every book in the series that we could get our hands on and we're looking forward to new ones being released. Every book in the series is well written, interesting and has just the right amount of humor without being outrageously silly. The Henry and Mudge series are my son's favorite books by far - they are great books for a beginning reader.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book review by a 7 and 9 year old boy, May 4, 2000
By A Customer
I like this book because the pictures are amazing. It is a great book for all ages and easy to read.
I thought it was a good book for me and my brother because it wasn't too easy and it wasn't too hard. It was about right, and the pictures were good.
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