Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

Henry And Mudge Get The Cold Shivers

Henry And Mudge Get The Cold Shivers

Cynthia Rylant
Illustrator:  Sucie Stevenson 
Fiction  Series
For ages 5 to 7
Simon and Schuster, 1996   ISBN: 978-0689810152

When Henry gets sick, his dog Mudge has a grand time. He gets to have Henry all to himself all day long, and he gets to eat the crackers that Henry’s mother and father give their son. Then one day Henry wakes up and his discovers that Mudge is not himself at all. He doesn’t  want to eat anything, and he doesn’t want to do anything. He doesn’t want to lick Henry’s face, or shake Henry’s hand. Clearly Mudge is a very ill dog and he needs to go to see the vet.

Taking an enormous dog like Mudge to the vet can be very challenging. Mudge does not like to go to the vet, and even though he isn’t feeling well, he is still able to be very stubborn. Henry and his mother have a very big problem on their hands.

In this sweet Henry and Mudge title, young readers will see that having a 180-pound dog for a best friend is not always easy, especially when the dog gets sick. Thankfully, Henry takes his friendship seriously and he does his best to help Mudge feel better.

With its three short chapters and its engaging story, this is a splendid book for beginner readers.