Henry and Mudge: The First Book
A teacher’s look at why this book belongs in the Read-to-Me, Read-by-Me stage.
Why it fits Read-to-Me, Read-by-Me (for the kindergarten-ready set, between being read to and reading alone)
A boy and his enormous dog, in short chapters of plainspoken warmth. Rylant writes simply without ever writing down. The series stretches across the whole learning-to-read year.
What makes it special
Rylant writes plain sentences with genuine feeling — a boy, a giant dog, and the loneliness that ended when Mudge arrived. Suçie Stevenson's bouncy watercolors keep the emotional beats light on the page. The series' twenty-plus volumes make it a reading-year companion, not a one-night stand.
About Cynthia Rylant
Cynthia Rylant is a Newbery Medalist (Missing May) whose hundred-plus books span the whole ladder from easy readers to novels; Henry and Mudge, drawn from her son and their 200-pound dog, set the standard for early-reader warmth.
Rylant grew up in coal-country West Virginia without running water or many books; she has said she became a writer to preserve the people and porches of that childhood, starting with the acclaimed When I Was Young in the Mountains.
Also by this author: When I Was Young in the Mountains · The Relatives Came · Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea
More from “I Can Read This Myself”
This book is part of The Best Books for Beginning Readers: 30 Teacher Picks (Read-to-Me, Read-by-Me) in our guide The Best Children’s Books by Age — 120 books chosen by the Montessori-certified teachers at Creative Minds Montessori in Frisco, TX. Come see how we build readers →
Nobody paid for this review — not the author, not the publisher — and the store link above earns us nothing. Our only interest is the reader this book fits.