Martha Walks the Dog [Hardcover]

Susan Meddaugh (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Martha loves her daily walks. She enjoys sniffing and scratching with her pals down by the hydrant. But today something is different. A house down the street has been sold, the for sale sign replaced by a new sign - Beware of Dog! Always curious, Martha investigates and discovers that there's a new dog in town, a blustering tough-dog named Bob. He's big and mean, and even Martha reluctantly concedes that he may be a bad dog. Martha will have to keep all her canine wits about her to protect her buddies and herself from the savage bully. Fortunately, she makes the acquaintance of a long-winded Parrot, and together the talkative duo may be able to restore peace to the neighborhood. In this hilarious new escapade by Susan Meddaugh, Martha is back, busily proving that there's no substitute for the simple power of praise for taming the toughest old dogs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this fourth book of Meddaugh's Martha series, the mild-mannered pooch who derives the power of speech from alphabet soup takes herself for a stroll. When someone calls her a "good dog," she ingenuously replies, "What other kind of dog is there?" She soon has her answer when she meets Bob, a hulking, bearlike mutt who viciously barks at passers-by. Bob's bearded owner is "just as ferocious," berating his pet with the words, "Bad dog Bob! Bad dog!" She moves on to another neighbor's yard, where she teaches a parrot to call her a "good dog." Martha's big mouth gets her into trouble when she returns to lecture Bob, not realizing that he has broken free of his thick metal chain. Fortunately, he chases Martha into the parrot's yard, where the magic words?"good dog!"?save Martha from certain doom. As in previous volumes, Meddaugh carries much of the story forward through dialogue that appears in hand-lettered voice bubbles, and her illustrations winningly convey the characters' personalities. The golden-brown, thick-waisted heroine's deep sincerity, with her drooping ears and expressive eyes, balance her comical self-righteous streak. The lunging, growling Bob is genuinely scary, but compliments tame his anger and smooth his shaggy coat. Young animal lovers should be warned that not every snarling bad dog can be as miraculously transformed as Bob into an earnest good dog. Nevertheless, Meddaugh successfully sends the message that pets (and their owners) respond best to kindness. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Martha the talking dog has yet another adventure. This time, the loquacious canine has the unfortunate experience of having a noisy neighbor move in with his bad dog. Bob is always barking and his owner is always screaming at him. When the offensive animal starts to pick on the neighborhood dogs, Martha speaks up. A beautifully creative name-calling chase ensues. "You mangy mongrel/crummy cur/big baboon," she taunts. However, she later finds that a talking parrot's praise is far more effective at controlling the bully's behavior, and his owner learns to calm him with sweet talk. The story ends, "Looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Everything about the book is extremely well done, from the story line to the illustrations and presentation. The drawings are colorful and full of emotion, showing a wide range of feelings in the canine and human faces. Another great story in a great tradition.
Shelley Woods, Boston Public Library, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books; First Edition edition (October 26, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395904943
• ISBN-13: 978-0395904947
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Bullies

More About the Author

Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for GOOD STONES (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a good thing!, June 11, 2000

By 

K. Bennett (Rolla, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Martha Walks the Dog (Hardcover)

Take one dog with attitude, add one can of alphabet soup, and you've got Martha, who not only talks, but isn't afraid to speak her mind. In this book, her fourth adventure so far, Martha learns the power that other people's (or animal's) words have on our self-image.

Every day, Martha walks herself around the neighborhood, and every day things are pretty much the same -- until Bad Dog Bob moves in. Bob spends his days lurking under the porch steps, then charging at anything that moves into his line of sight. Only two things keep him from ripping his neighbors to shreds -- his chain, which only reaches so far, and his owner, who always screams, "BAD DOG, BOB! BAD DOG! "

Then someone else moves into the neighborhood. This animal can talk, too, but Martha soon realizes her new neighbor is only parroting her words back to her. She teaches the bird to say "Good dog! What a dog!" and "You must have fleas!"

When Martha decides one day to tell Bad Dog Bob what she really thinks of him, she's not counting on his chain being broken. Just when Martha is sure Bob is going to have her for a doggie treat, a voice from above says, "Good dog!" Suddenly, Bob smiles. Quick-thinking Martha teaches her parrot friend more words of praise, and Bad Dog Bob turns into Tail-wagging Bob.

My kids love the Martha books because they are so funny. I love them because they are great jumping off places for discussions of serious topics. This book led to a discussion of just what it means to call someone "Stupid Head." I can't say we've totally eliminated that insult or others like it from our house, but we're working on it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful, fun, funny, and good message., November 2, 2005

By 

bayareakirk (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Martha Walks the Dog (Turtleback)

I am sad to see the hardcover no longer available. I just gave my copy as a present to a student. I read this book to grades K-4 as part of "social skills" teaching. This book is a fun way to explore the power of words and tone of voice. A dog that is called "bad boy, Bob" acts like a bad dog. Once he hears "good dog", "handsome dog" and other compliments, he feels much happier. It is fun to read, the illustrations are wonderful, and kids love it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read to children and loved by Elementary aged children, August 6, 2005

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bayareakirk (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Martha Walks the Dog (Hardcover)

A fun book about the power of words.