Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble
Illustrator: Sucie Stevenson
Fiction Series
For ages 5 to 7
Simon and Schuster, 1990 ISBN: 978-0689810039
The snow is melting and spring is finally here. Henry and his dog Mudge are delighted that they are able to play outside again. One day Henry sees a small blue flower growing in his yard. Henry's mother tells him that the flower is a snow glory, and she asks him not to pick it the pretty blue flower. "Let it grow" she says.
Henry watches the flower grow, and with every passing day he finds that he wants to pick the flower more and more. He wants the flower to be his, and eventually a day comes when Henry can't stand it anymore; he just has to pick the flower. And then something happens to the flower and Henry realizes that his mother was right. The flower did not belong to anybody, it was something that should to allowed to grow.
In this delightful second Henry and Mudge book, Cynthia Rylant captures the joys of spring with flowers, wonderfully dirty mud puddles, and a litter of new kittens. The three stories in the book are amusing and entertaining, and they also have important messages to impart to young readers. This is a perfect title for children who are embarking on their first solo reading adventures.
