McDuff's New Friend [Hardcover]

Rosemary Wells (Author), Susan Jeffers (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up | Series: Mcduff

On Christmas Eve, McDuff's persistent "woofing" begins to annoy Fred and Lucy, but it leads to the rescue of Santa, whose sleigh has gotten stuck in the snow.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?The lovable West Highland white terrier makes a holiday appearance. On Christmas Eve, McDuff's owners anxiously scan the snowy sky looking for Santa Claus. Unable to spot him, Lucy and Fred go about their evening business, feeding the baby and walking McDuff. Eventually, they succumb to sleep while a blizzard rages. The dog hears several noises and each time, Fred gets bundled up and digs a snow tunnel so the little pup can go outside and explore. After two false alarms, McDuff strikes out on his own and finds Santa in the garage and the sleigh in a snowdrift. Unfortunately, the story, like Santa and his sleigh, has trouble getting off the ground. The plot is slight, with limited tension or development. The strong point of this collaboration is Jeffers's outstanding, full-color artwork. For hard-core McDuff fans only.?MMH
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Out trots McDuff (McDuff Moves In, 1997, etc.), this time to wait for Santa on Christmas Eve, in a story that subverts the cozy domesticity that has been a series hallmark in the name of a less-interesting fantasy. Fred, Lucy, and their baby are w aiting with their West Highland terrier, McDuff, for the arrival of Santa Claus. A blizzard swirls outside, worrying them all. After they have all retired for the night, McDuff repeatedly hears noises, and wishes to investigate. For each foray, Fred has t o dig a passageway through the snow. Trying Fred's patience, McDuff insists on yet another exploratory walk, and they find Santa all tangled up in the garage, looking for a snow shovel so he can dig his sleigh out of a snowdrift. He is untangled and taken into the kitchen, where Lucy has soup and sandwiches ready. The gifts he gives before dashing away include a kitten for McDuff. The illustrations, with their 1950s sensibility, are warm and eye-catching, right down to a molded Jell-o salad Lucy has prepa red; that kind of realistic touch doesn't fit with the image of a full-blown Santa, right there in the kitchen. (Picture book. 4-9) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (November 26, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078680386X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786803866
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #918,576 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

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Addition To The McDuff Series, October 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: McDuff's New Friend (Hardcover)

As a Westie owner and lover of children's books, this title fits well with the others in the series. Sure to be a hit with the small children at Christmastime, McDuff helps Santa when he's in need. The illustrations are fantastic and capture the heart of this little breed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keeps them in suspense..., May 21, 2002

By 

Patty "mom to three boys" - See all my reviews

This review is from: McDuff's New Friend (Hardcover)

My son, age 3, loves this book. The nighttime setting and wait for Santa gives it suspense, and McDuff's ventures out into the snow make for a very vivid read! It's his favorite McDuff story, along with McDuff Comes Home.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new, cherished Christmas story!, January 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: McDuff's New Friends (Hardcover)

Westie owners and westie lovers unite! McDuff has starred in another wonderful story! My children and I love the new book in the McDuff series. It is apparent that the author and illustrator have these wonderful little dogs in their midst for inspiration. We often see our Linus lying in the same way McDuff lies, giving us the same expression McDuff gives Fred and Lucy, and giving our children the "awful squinting looks" McDuff gives the baby. My personal favorite line from the new book: "McDuff is empty!"