Customer Reviews

The Mudhogs

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are two tactics that can be used when children's books are being designed, a minimalist approach and an extremely colorful and detailed one. The advantage of the minimalist approach is that it is more in tune with young children and their ability to absorb detail. If there is too much, then they get lost in what is to them sensory noise. However, when keeping things simple, the developers need to make sure that what is there has enough quality to maintain the young reader's attention.
This book, written and illustrated by an eight-year old, is minimalist in structure, and has the necessary detail. The illustrations look like they were colored with crayons, giving the impression to the young reader that they could have done it. This is a major advantage; sometimes the most powerful motivating force is the realistic thought that "I could have done that." The text is very easy to read and follow, right at the level of the beginning reader in terms of sentence structure and the difficulty of the words used.
I have a very simple criterion that I apply to children's books, would I have read it to my daughter when she was the appropriate age? In this case the answer is an emphatic yes, as she would have loved it.

The author of this children's book is a child himself, only eight years old. It is truly amazing that such a young person can write and illustrate his very own book. I'm impressed!! The Mudhogs story is about three little pigs trying to find what they love best and in the end they find it right under their noses. It's a fun story with child-like illustrations.

OKay I review quite a few childrens books and I thought I should briefly mention that I do rate them a bit different than others for obvious reasons.

The most common things I rate them by are

1) Did they hold the kids interest?
2) Were they able to retell the story for me?
3) Did the story make sense and get its message across?

and a few others that just depend solely on the particular book I am reviewing.

The Mudhogs passed all three of the above with flying colors! It was a cute and simple story that did get its point across which basically was Home is a wonderful place to be!

I was really impressed that not only was this book written by an 8-year old but that it's not even his 1st published work! This is his 3rd published book! I can't wait to see what stories he has yet to tell in his future! Great job Dalton!
[...]

When it comes to reviewing book for children, I use a few different things to determine my opinion on it.

Was my child focused on the book as we read it together? Yes
Did she enjoy all the pictures or artwork throughout the book? Yes
Did she understand the meaning of what the book was about when we
discussed it afterwords? Yes
Did she ask me to read it again? Yes

Overall my child really enjoyed this book. When we finished reading it, the pictures guided her so she could re-tell the story. The pictures went with the story that was written and was easy for her to understand.

The Mudhogs is a children's book written and illustrated by eight-year old, Dalton James.
It is the story of some adorable pigs who could not find mud, and we all know pigs must have mud, so they set off on a quest to find some. However, what they find is a simple lesson, yet an important one for children.
I found this book to be very refreshing and I loved knowing that a child took the time to write and illustrate it. Children reading it will especially enjoy his drawings and I feel will identify with them and perhaps be encouraged that they too may share their creative ability.
Cute story, cute illustrations. Hats off to our young author, Dalton James. Keep up the good work!

In the story of The Mudhogs, the three pigs named Piggy, Piggles, and Piglet love mud. They want to play in the mud but there isn't any in the barn that they live in. So they travel the world looking for mud... and when they get home they learn an important lesson.

This is a really cute book that all kids will love. It's easy to understand and is written by a kid for a kid. The illustrations are adorable and the story is funny and cute. It is short and sweet and the lesson remains something that children and adults all need to remember.

Recommended for ages 3-10.

This book showed imagination and attention to detail. I liked the repetitiveness of some of the passages because it made it easier for my first grader to read on his own. It made all three of my older children laugh. What was particularly special to me was that I got to share a book written by a child author who was not too much older than my own children. Many times kids think things like writing a book are just for adults, so to be able to show a finished product written and published by a child was great. I am considering donating this book to my son's classroom for his teacher to use to motivate her students. I plan to keep it for a bit because my three year old especially has latched onto it, but I would love to see it shared with an even wider audience. The illustrations look like they may have been created with a computer. I hope it inspires my children to think about writing more.

Some of you will recall this spring when I reviewed two books, then interviewed this children's author who comes from the ranks of his readers. Dalton is eight years old and illustrates his stories as well as writing them.

The Mudhogs is the story of three pigs who have come together as a club with the purpose of enjoying the mud. One problem: there's been no rain for a long time. Finally, Piggy, Piggles, and Piglet decide to go on an adventure to find mud somewhere in the world. The story is narrated by a tick that lives on Piggy's knee, and is a fun reminder that sometimes what we really want is right at home.

In a note accompanying my review copy of this book, James' father suggested that this third book is the author/illustrator's best yet. I heartily concur. The Mudhogs will entertain and inspire children and readers of all ages. Pick up a copy for the holidays and enjoy this four-reading glass selection.

--Benjamin Potter December 7, 2009

This young man has written his third book. This one shows his imagination at work with animals. He still has an uninhibited method of sharing his story. This was unique as the story is told by a character. I have watched children read it and they enjoy the story. They comment that he is their age and they like kids telling stories to kids.

Dalton is my eight year old son so admittedly I am going to be more than a little biased about a book review. So I'm not using this to tell you how great he is (he's amazing), how smart he is (he's no slouch), or how great this book is (it is freaking amazing!). I do want to tell you what we see when little children see his book, read his book and find out that he's only eight. They all say that he's just like them and he wrote a book. The next question they ask whoever is near them is "Why can't I write a book?". What a great question for children to ask. Teachers all over the country are striving to find ways to get their students to write and a simple book written by a child does just that. The best thing that a children's book can do is open up a child's immagination and allow them to dream. Dalton's books do just that, I recommend you use them to open your child's immagination as well.