Customer Reviews

McDuff Saves the Day (McDuff Stories)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This fourth of July book is a charming addition to the Mc Duff series. The activity of the little Westie is captured succinctly by the brilliant use of split scenes on some of the pages. For instance, the four scenes when Mc Duff couln't make up his mind where to sit, very clearly show the activities of the little dog. First he is in the front seat, then he is in the back seat crawling over the front seat, then he jumps out the door when the car stops, and in the last scent he is waiting for his water bowl. This is very clever artistry on behalf of the illustrator.It is the best in the series.

McDuff, the irrepressible White Highland Terrier, joins owners Fred, Lucy, and their little baby for a traditional Fourth of July picnic in this immensely satisfying book. Susan Jeffers' beautiful rich colors, blend of comic strip panels and large-format pictures, and attention to period accuracy convincingly portray the post-war patriotism, hope, and economic prosperity of the late 1940's and early 1950's. Her drawings evoke Norman Rockwell, Boy Scout magazines, and the woodblock pictures that graced early children's books, and they are a major factor in the book's huge appeal.

Rosemary Wells once again writes a McDuff series book with humor, warmth, and just a bit of mischief, qualities found in her famous "Max and Ruby" series (e.g., "Max's Dragon Shirt"). There's Lucy and Rick tomfoolery in the opening scenes as McDuff and Fred keep switching seats during the drive. Finally:

"Fred had to sit in the backseat with the baby and the chicken. 'He always gets the front seat in the end,' said Fred. McDuff stretched out in the front seat and fell into a sausage-squirrel dream."

Wells and Jeffers also pull off a clever perspective switch as we see McDuff's version of how the picnic disappeared. In McDuff's version, marauding ants "penetrated the picnic basket by the hundreds. In a few short minutes, the picnic was gone." We see five ants (only 5!) ferreting away a sandwich, and organized, orderly lines of ants absconding with cookies, candy, and cupcakes. Jeffers, as masterful with facial expressions as with large-scale compositions, shows McDuff conveniently looking away, trying hard to look innocent.

And just how does McDuff save the day? By eating the meatballs of neighboring picnicker Mr. DiMaggio. (The authors go a little heavy on an Italian stereotype here.) After DiMaggio yells for help, the family joins him in a generously shared, copious lunch. As now expected from the ever-fortunate dog, McDuff gets a turkey-and tomato sandwich out of it! A glorious fireworks display ends this idyllic Fourth, as Fred, once again, winds up in the front seat. This is an exceptional book, with outstanding pictures, imaginative humor, and a gentle but compelling narrative.

Both my kids have loved the McDuff stories and this is no exception, a cute and charming story that captures the personality of the little dog McDuff. But the illustrations in this book are a disappointment. The baby, for instance, though charmingly rendered in *McDuff and the Baby* and clearly represented as a girl in the text of this and the other McDuff stories in which she appears, is wearing a plaid shirt and overalls (of course girls can wear such things but it seems more to me like the illustrator rushed the job and switched the gender). The images of Lucy and Fred fall flat and fail to capture their personalities, so beautifully rendered in McDuff Moves In, McDuff Comes Home and McDuff and the Baby. The use of four small images per page in many cases, though not in itself a problem, seems to have led to quicker, simpler illustrations that add very little to the story. I still don't know, for example, what a slug-a-bug is, or what a handy-dandy-baby-emergency-travel-kit looks like...charming ideas in the text that are not carried into the illustrations. Jeffers is an excellent illustrator, as seen in her other work, but this project looks like it was rushed.

These complaints, however, are all my own, my kids love this book and all of the McDuff books. It was among my daughter's favorites from ages 2-4 and is now among my son's favorites (he is 2 1/2).

As with all 'McDuff' stories, this book is very well drawn, and a child could tell it to an adult based on the pictures in the book, after the child had heard the story a few times. It is charmng, friendly telling of a fun family outing. All McDuff books would be good in daycares for story time!

I teach first grade and all the McDuff stories are adorable. I am sorry to say that most of them are out of print. My first graders request these books as read a louds frequently and they are some of the first books selected at book choice time. I wish Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers would continue to add more books to this delightful series. The illustrations show so much expression! I laugh every time I read the books. McDuff's facial expressions really make the book delightful.

We have several McDuff books and love them, however, McDuff Saves The Day has very little action and Jeffers normally fantastic illustrations seem hastily drawn and uninspired.

The vendor did a great job. I got the book right on time. My only disappointment was with the illustrations. I own many McDuff books and the illustrations in her later books are not as detailed and crisp...something I especially loved about her earlier books.

This is another fun McDuff book with lovely illustrations and a nice story. The only thing I dislike about this book is that on many of the pages, there are four squares with different illustrations in them per page. I feel that it distracts from the story.

I really enjoyed reading this book to 16 preschoolers at the Festus Public Library in Festus, Missouri. As a storytime book, McDuff Saves the Day makes for a fun and entertaining read. The artwork and story are beautiful and creative. The plot is charming, simple and realistic, giving McDuff (a fluffy white Westie) a perfect opportunity to be the cute dog that he is. This is my first McDuff story and I thouroughly enjoyed it. All dog lovers should have this in their children's book collection.
In this adventure, McDuff celebrates the Fourth of July with his family: Lucy, Fred and the baby. A perfect day for a picnic turns into a series of mishaps that leaves the family without a picnic and a cranky baby. By the end of the story, McDuff has found a way to have a picnic and make a new friend. Fred still complains though, because McDuff always gets to ride in the front.

Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers' McDuff Saves The Day takes place on July 4th and tells of the bouncy dog's plans to celebrate. McDuff's ride in the family car is particularly hilarious and realistic as he bounces between seats, baby, and chicken versus marrowbone. A fun and zany tale.