Customer Reviews

McDuff's Wild Romp (McDuff Stories)

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

 

 

A little disappointed, as I don't think it's of the same quality as the other McDuff books. Still fun read for kids, however!

I was so excited to see another title in the McDuff series, a beloved set of books in our house. Unfortunately, Rosemary Wells has not stayed with her original illustrator. One look at the pictures and I didn't even want to buy this book. It's too bad. We'll stick with the 2 sets of the rest of the McDuff books.

We have only 1 McDuff book: McDuff and the Baby, and we love it. Beautiful story, emotional themes to talk about with young children, realistic and evocative pictures. So when I saw this book at the library, I grabbed it without even opening it. "Hooray", I thought, "another McDuff book to enjoy". Then we got home and settled down to read it. I have to say, I rechecked the cover more than once to make sure it really was Mary Wells and Susan Jeffers again. I certainly would never have thought so otherwise. Very flat, simplified drawings with no spirit in them as in the other book. The story was completely negative and upsetting for my toddler. When we got to the picture of the cat attacking McDuff's thrown-down torso with her fangs, I was blown out of the water. Later in the book, I found that McDuff was blamed for everything, labeled "bad", and the house was wrecked. Not a whole lot of emotional resonance there for a young one, and no resolution or love at the end.

Big thumbs-down on this one. Sounds from reviews like all the other McDuff books are great except this one.

My four-year-old always wants me to read, then re-read, this particular book in the McDuff series. She loves them all, but this is by far her favorite. She finds McDuff and Perlina's squabbles over the Turkey Tidbits hilarious. Highly recommended if you have a preschool-age dog and cat lover.

We own and love all of our McDuff books. Our only disappointment with this new book is that we miss the old McDuff. He is updated and doesn't look the same as the McDuff in the earlier editions. My children noticed right away and they prefer the original McDuff. None the less we still enjoyed the new adventure with the New McDuff.

I bought this book for my granddaughter. She loves having this read to her and trying to read it herself. She is learning to read and it is easy to read.

Once again, Rosemary Wells and illustrator Susan Jeffers take us back to a lovingly recreated New England town of the late 1940's or early 50's. The men wear argyle, bow-ties, and suspenders (no, it's not the go-go 1990's), and the women wear lace, big white collars, and flowered print dresses. They drive big automobiles past neatly shuttered second-story windows, sit on rolled-arm sofas, and have niceties like candy dishes.

The book begins with the adorable canine McDuff finding a Turkey Tidbit under the baby's swing. It's a somewhat confusing opening, as the context is not clear. On the next page, however, the plots unfolds: Fred and Lucy are taking McDuff and the baby to Aunt Frieda's house for Sunday dinner (!). When the baby drops a second Turkey Tidbit under the dinner table (a result of a chain reaction begun when Aunt Frieda's cat, Purlina, hisses at McDuff), McDuff and his inhospitable feline host begin a slow, secretive race to the Tidbit.

"They slunk toward the Turkey Tidbit while the family ate their crab cakes... Just as the family was finishing the salad, McDuff and Purlina reached the Turkey Tidbit...There was a hullaballoo right under the dining room table. Fred jumped to his feet and knocked over the chair..."

As the two animals wrestle for the turkey, lamps, vases, tables, and even the curtains are knocked over! Despite all the work, the dream family of the era pretty much takes it in stride: "'Whatever could have happened to make a quiet, gentle dog and cat behave like wild tigers and bears?' asked Uncle Nate". While the adults appear somewhat naive, the baby isn't. In a clever last scene, the baby "took the last of the Turkey Tidbits and threw it on the floor.." She looks down on McDuff and Purlina eying the treat, and says with a smile: "Again!"

The knock against the newer McDuff books is that the illlustrations are less detailed, and perhaps not as rich-looking. I agree, especially in the pictures of the two animals. In earlier books, you felt like you could practically touch the detailed, textured fur. These newer books have a flatter, more modern feeling that's seems incompatible with the 1940's-50's touches, and is simply not as engaging. Still, there's still enough traditional authenticity in words and pictures for adult readers, and kids will love the action and humor.

I'd still recommend these newer books, but the earlier books realize more completely the enormous appeal of McDuff.

Illustrations live up to other McDuff books.. as does the story. We have a cat, so the description of the cat and dog made both my boys laugh. I hope she writes more!

This is one of the cutest stories yet in McDuff`s ongoing adventures. I love the whole McDuff series. I have them all and I read them to my little grandaughter. If you don`t know McDuff yet, you are in for a treat. I recommend this book highly.
P.S. Buy all of them!

I have collected each book as it was published. I love the stories, and especially the illustrations, which seem to be done with real Westies as models because the expressions and body positions are so true to life.