McDuff Goes to School [Hardcover]

Rosemary Wells (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001 | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Mcduff

When McDuff and his new French-speaking neighbors' dog are enrolled in obedience school, it seems as though McDuff has not learned his lessons.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's off to dog-training class for everyone's favorite Westie in McDuff Goes to School by Rosemary Wells, illus. by Susan Jeffers. McDuff hits it off with the new neighbors' dog, Marie, but makes no points with Marie's French-speaking owners when he won't get off of their sofa; he is enrolled in school to learn basic commands. Readers get a few lessons, too, in the French words for sit, stay, come and heel along with a fun twist at the end. The artwork captures every nuance of the dogs' expressions.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reS-Gr 2-The determined, bright, and adorable West Highland terrier is back as he welcomes new neighbors and a new language. McDuff's strong-willed nature places him in obedience school, where he has the potential to earn a blue ribbon at graduation. While the dog finds his family too busy to practice, he listens attentively to the routines of his Scottie friend Marie-Antoinette and her French owners; to his family's surprise, he has learned the commands in another language. The French phrases may prove difficult for the pup's youngest fans, but the endearing illustrations of canine faces and exuberant paws in action transcend any additional need for explanation. Jeffers's art perfectly complements Wells's simple text and captures an earlier era, seemingly the '30s, with perspectives that emphasize the dogs that play an important role in their owners' lives. A short illustrated glossary and pronunciation guide to the obedience commands are included.

Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786806478
• ISBN-13: 978-0786806478
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in New York City, Rosemary Wells grew up in a house "filled with books, dogs, and nineteenth-century music." Her childhood years were spent between her parents' home near Red Bank, New Jersey, and her grandmother's rambling stucco house on the Jersey Shore. Most of her sentimental memories, both good and bad, stem from that place and time. Her mother was a dancer in the Russian Ballet, and her father a playwright and actor. Mrs. Wells says, "Both my parents flooded me with books and stories. My grandmother took me on special trips to the theater and museums in New York. "Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than 30 years and 60 books. She has won numerous awards, and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She has also given Mother Goose new life in two enormous, definitive editions, published by Candlewick. Wells wrote and illustrated Unfortunately Harriet, her first book with Dial, in 1972. One year later she wrote the popular Noisy Nora. "The children and our home life have inspired, in part, many of my books. Our West Highland white terrier, Angus, had the shape and expressions to become Benjamin and Tulip, Timothy, and all the other animals I have made up for my stories." Her daughters Victoria and Beezoo were constant inspirations, especially for the now famous "Max" board book series. "Simple incidents from childhood are universal," Wells says. "The dynamics between older and younger siblings are common to all families."But not all of Wells' ideas come from within the family circle. Many times when speaking, Mrs. Wells is asked where her ideas come from. She usually answers, "It's a writer's job to have ideas." Sometimes an idea comes from something she reads or hears about, as in the case of her recent book, Mary on Horseback, a story based on the life of Mary Breckenridge, who founded the Frontier Nursing Service. Timothy Goes to School was based on an incident in which her daughter was teased for wearing the wrong clothes to a Christmas concert. Her dogs, west highland terriers, Lucy and Snowy, work their way into her drawings in expression and body position. She admits, "I put into my books all of the things I remember. I am an accomplished eavesdropper in restaurants, trains, and gatherings of any kind. These remembrances are jumbled up and changed because fiction is always more palatable than truth. Memories become more true as they are honed and whittled into characters and stories."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scottie & Westie Tales, October 20, 2001

By 

James C. Price (Saint John, New Brunswick Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: McDuff Goes to School (Hardcover)

Being the owner of a Scottie, a Westie and a Cairn as well as an avid art collector of breed-related items, I am so impressed with the capturing of the expressions of the Scottie (Marie) and the Westie (McDuff) in this book. The artist really knows the breeds and the author as well. They both capture the wonderful spirit and essence of the beloved dogs. A great story that children of all ages will love - even this 39 year old kid. Bravo!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If McDuff can learn to understand French, then maybe your young reader can too, August 17, 2005

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: McDuff Goes to School (McDuff Stories) (Hardcover)

For some reason I am having problems finding a list that puts the McDuff books in order. I know that "McDuff Moves In" was the first book in the series, written by Rosemary Wells and illustrated by Susan Jeffers. I thougth that "McDuff Goes to School" might be the second book in the series because once Fred and Lucy (not Ricky and Ethel) let this cute little white-haired dog into their lives I figured that sending him to obedience school was the logical next step. But "McDuff Goes to School" was published in 2001 and that puts it after "McDuff Comes Home," "McDuff and the Baby," and "McDuff's New Friend." That involved a bit of on-line research, but the fact that there was a baby in the house was a big clue that this adventure took place after "McDuff and the Baby" at least. Where "McDuff Saves teh Day" and "McDuff's Wild Romp" fit into the chronology is not yet clear to me, but I will work on it.

"McDuff Goes to School" tells what happens when a new family, the De Gaulles, moves from Barkedelphia into the house next door to McDuff at number nine Elm Road. McDuff discovers a new dog, a black Scottish Terrier named Marie-Antoinette has moved in as well, and Lucy and Fred learn that Celeste and Pierre de Gaulle speak French. So when Lucy says, "Hello," Celeste responds with "Bonjour." Inside the De Gaulle's new home when Marie sits on the sofa Celeste orders her to jump down, lay down, and stay, but she does it all in French. When Lucy and Fred discover that McDuff does not obey command (in English; they do not try French), they decide he has to go to obedience school. Celeste and Marie decide to go to the school too.

What is interesting is that because Lucy is too busy with the baby and Fred is too tired from working all day, that neither of them has time to practice with McDuff. So it is Celeste who practices every day with Marie, learning how to heel, sit, stay, and come. On the other side of the fence McDuff is watching the lessons and when he starts obeying the commands, given in French, he gets a liver truffle, just like Marie. Meanwhile, Lucy and Fred are aware that McDuff is not doing well in school and when graduation day comes he does not obey their commands.

I really like this illustrated children's story for two reasons. The first is that young readers will see where the story is going and anticipate the ending, which is a good thing because they will be happy they were smart enough to figure it out. The second is that Celeste speaks French throughout the book and although there is a Glossary in the back that explains that "assieds-toi" means "sit" and "viens" means "come," there are no direct translations in the main story. However, the meaning of each phrase is clear from what is being said so that kids can make the connections. Beyond that, you have the benefit that if young readers, ages 2-5, can learn the French commands to give a dog to heel, jump and lie down, then they might be interested in learning other foreign words and phrases, whether they are French or something else. The earlier you get kids interested in speaking a foreign language the easier it is for them to pick it up. It is too late for me to do so, but hopefully you can get this book to your beginning reader when it can help them on that particular path.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What happened to the illustrations?, November 21, 2005

By 

N. Spann "book lover" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: McDuff Goes to School (McDuff Stories) (Hardcover)

The five stars are for the book, not the illustrations in this current edition. I love all the McDuff books. I used to have a Westie and so they really captured my attention. I started buying them before my granddaughter was born and started reading them to her very early in her life. She absolutely loves them and asks me to read them to her over and over again. However, I am disappointed in the illustrations in the latest editions of the books (like this one). They are not the same as in the earlier editions yet the illustrator is the same. Why is that? The earlier editions had wonderful illustrations that looked exactly like the Westies, but the newer editions are different. They look very cartoonish. Please bring back the "old look" and please ask Rosemary Wells to write more books to be illustrated as they used to be. Thanks.