Customer Reviews

Henry and Mudge: The First Book (Ready-To-Read:)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

My son, a kindergartener, was truly driven to read by Henry and Mudge and their fun, loving relationship. He now reads to his delighted 3 year old brother. Thank goodness the adventures continue in so many wonderful books. Don't stop here! Puddle Trouble, Green Time, Yellow Moon, Sparkle Days, Long Weekend, Starry Night......all simple, pleasant stories.

My son was reluctant to read in his elementary school days. This series caught his attention and by the time he finished all the books in the series that we could find he was intrigued enough with reading to go on to other books. Now, he is a high school senior with stellar SAT scores. I'll give partial credit to Henry and Mudge!

My five year old has been loving Henry and Mudge for months now and we have checked every one of them out of the local library. We finally decided we just had to know how the story all began and saw a reference to The First Book. We quickly ordered it and couldn't be more pleased. The story explains the beginnings of Henry's deep attachment to Mudge. These are wonderful books. I don't know anyone we have recommended them to who hasn't fallen in love with Henry and Mudge.

Henry and Mudge: The First Book

We loved Henry and Mudge right from the start. Mudge is not a talking or human like dog. He is all dog. Henry's loving parents feel sad that Henry doesn't have kids to play with or a pet and they give in and get him a tiny puppy, who grows and grows into a very large slobbering dog. In this first book, Mudge gets lost. Henry is inconsolable. My boy was very upset and crying about Henry and Mudge being separated. Frankly I was pretty upset about it myself. But when Henry instinctively follows Mudges trail and hollers one last time we were relieved that Mudge was nearby and came running. We see the grief and loss from both Henry and Mudge's perspective. When my dog got lost I wondered what he might be feeling, now I know.These stories are so warm and touching. We can feel the love in this family.
They are great boy books, but girls will enjoy them too.

This is a good series for 1st graders who are looking for small adventures with a loving friend.

I bought some of these Henry & Mudge books for my 9 year old nephew Buddy when he was in the second grade. I gave him one or two, he read them, and kept asking me Are you bringing anymore of Henry & Mudge. I said Yes do you like them and he said Yes. Now my youngest son Ramon who is 7 loves them. The stories and the pictures are great for children and are perfect for second graders. I would recommend them to any second grader in a HEARTBEAT.

When I was a kid I haded to read, but this book made me want to read more and more. Now I have my younger brother who is starting to read and he just loves these books.