Mud Puddle Early Reader

by Robert Munsch

Classic stories from Robert Munsch in an early reader format kids will love! Text has been adapted from the originals so beginner readers can proudly say “I read this myself!”

Colorful and fun, Robert Munsch’s zany stories and ​Dušan Petričić’s illustrations will grab kids’ attention and keep them interested as they practice their reading skills.

Munsch Early Readers are packed with extras, including phonics introduction and activity, getting ready to read activities, comprehension activities, reading tips for kids, and an inspirational note to kids from Robert Munsch. "Readers RULE!"

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Canada, Fiction, Storytime, Humor, Juvenile

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Robert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Fordham University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and from Boston University in 1971 with a Master of Arts degree in anthropology.

He studied to become a Jesuit priest, but decided he would rather work with children after jobs at orphanages and daycare centers. In 1973, he received a Master of Education in Child Studies from Tufts University. In 1975 he moved to Canada to work at the preschool at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. He also taught in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Guelph as a lecturer and as an assistant professor. In Guelph he was encouraged to publish the many stories he made up for the children he worked with.

Munsch's wife delivered two stillborn babies in 1979 and 1980. Out of the tragedy, he produced one of his best-known books, Love You Forever. This book was listed fourth on the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Best selling Children's Books list for paperbacks at 6,970,000 copies (not including the 1,049,000 hardcover copies). The Munsches have since become adoptive parents of Julie, Andrew and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!)

Munsch has obsessive-compulsive disorder and has also suffered from manic depression. In August 2008, Munsch suffered a stroke that affected his ability to speak in normal sentences. He has recovered enough that he is able to perform live, but has put his writing career on hold until he is fully recovered.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let’s start with the artwork. I don’t know why they decided to put new artwork in this book, but the original was published in 1982 and Munsch did the artwork, but there is no way it could be worse than the artwork of Sami Suomalainen. I think it’s terrible. I really don’t like the new do and I would rather see Robert’s artwork anyway. I don’t know what the publishing company was thinking. The new edition came out in 1995. Big mistake.

The story is rather cute and unusual, if you can get past the artwork, which I couldn’t. It’s creepy. A mud puddle is attacking this girl each time she goes in her yard and she gets dirty. She does outsmart it, but how sad the girl doesn’t want to go outside because of this mud puddle. The mom gives her many baths in one day.

If my nephew were reading this with me, he would have laughed and laughed at the naked girl being put in the tub. All the private bits were covered. He wasn’t with me, so I missed his laughing. I would love to see the original artwork, I don’t believe it could be any worse.

[AleJandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Brave STARS

No sé si el mensaje de la historia es aprender a ser valiente, o la importancia de bañarse.

En lo personal creo que el principal mensaje es lo cansado que es ser mamá, miren que meter a bañar 3 veces al día a una niña es muchísimo trabajo; hasta mi hija noto en las imágenes la cara de cansada de la mamá.

En fin, es un libro muy divertido y entretenido, mi hija siempre se emociona mucho cuando la niña le avienta el jabón a la mancha.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Children's Early Reader book that I read with all my kids. We took turns reading, and they had so much fun. I think the story pulled in the kids, and this book had them laughing so hard. I also think the words are easy for kids to read with just a little bit of help. This is a great and fun story to read. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Annick Press) or author (Robert Munsch) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty nonsensical story. I think it's basically just a statement about how some kids will find mud and manage to get dirty when they go outside, no matter what. Here we have a sentient mud puddle that kind of stalks a little girl named Jule Ann. It lurks in trees or on the roof and hides behind fences. Every time Jule Ann puts on clean clothes and goes outside, the mud puddle is waiting to get her dirty (which results in a thorough scrubbing from her mother). Eventually, Jule Ann has had enough, and she concocts a simple plan to get rid of the mud puddle once and for all.

Maybe the reason I'm struggling with liking this one more is because of the illustrations. They're okay, but when I read Robert Munsch's stories, I really like seeing what Michael Martchenko can do with the illustrations. If this book had been illustrated by him, I might've had a more favourable opinion of it.

All in all, it's not terrible, but it's not my favourite Munsch book by any means.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun and silly book that shows what happens when a little girl repeatedly gets covered in mud. Our girls really enjoyed this book and laughed often at the absurdity of the mud puddle going after Jule Ann. The illustrations are colorful and cartoonish.

Our girls liked watching the story on the Tumblebooks website. (http://www.tumblebooks.com) Robert N. Munsch is a talented storyteller and he's very entertaining when he narrates his own stories! We read this book a second time and this time I narrated it, although not nearly as well.

[Diana N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great book for early readers and is super funny too!

I had my first grader read this book since she is a fairly new reader. A great thing about this book is the word repetition. A couple words my daughter wasn't as sure of at the beginning became easier as the book went on and has been recognizing them elsewhere.

The humor in this book was very engaging. Poor Jule Ann kept getting muddy over and over. The pictures of her completely coated in mud were hilarious.

This book is great for building young reader confidence!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for an honest review.

[Paul Hankins · Rating 4 out of 5]

An update of the Robert Munsch (I LOVE YOU FOREVER).

The predictability (think the popular PETE THE CAT series)within the pacing of the story would make for a nice read-aloud here.

Pair this one up with Stephen Gammell's MUDKIN.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you have kids that always get dirty. Do they say "I don't know how I got dirty" well this is the book for them Julie Ann goes outside with fresh clean clothing and is inevitably attacked by mud puddles until she uses some quick thinking to defend herself against

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever been stalked by a mud puddle? Well Jule Ann has. She finds a great way to deal with that bully of a puddle too! Girl power at it's best, with Mom's help of course!

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beating the bully! Winning the war!

[Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked that even though she was afraid she kept going outside because we like outside, right?

[Alicia Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this today as one of the books in our puppet show. One staff member read the book while other staff helped act it out. This was the funnest book of the day by far! The kids watched the saga unfold and thought the jumping mud puddle was hilarious. Nowhere in the book does the mother accuse the girl of lying about how she got muddy, which will either annoy or thrill readers. The book is playful and has a good rhythm. Very cute!

For: readers looking for a bath time or playtime book; readers looking to talk about cleanliness.

Possible red flags: some caregivers may feel the book encourages telling falsehoods; some readers may not enjoy all that mud.

[paige turner ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mud Puddle was hilarious! Instead of a kid jumping into a puddle, it's the puddle that won't leave the kid alone!

It was like the mud puddle knew when Julie Ann had on brand new clothes, it knew when she had on a rain jacket it wanted her when she was fresh and clean!

But like some other books that Robert Munsch has written, this little girl is her own hero. She found a way to outsmart this mud puddle, and she made it so that pesky mud puddle never bothered her again!

[Capn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The small one is, bizarrely, terrified of this book. And we read it like six times before that realization was voiced, so... idk.

I think it's the idea that the puddle is out there.... lurking.... ready to pounce.

Kids.

Yeah.

Loves puddles, even more so than most kids. Happy to be as dirty as the kid in the story. Go figure.

Might be partially the artwork. I had read the earlier edition as a kid myself, and it barely registered.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jule Ann is ready to go outside and play. She has her clean new shirt buttoned up front and her clean new pants buttoned up front, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a Mud Puddle jumps on her and gets her all muddy!
Jule Ann gets in the bath, and puts on clean clothes, and again the Mud Puddle jumps on her! What will Jule Ann do in order to get the Mud Puddle to STOP jumping on her?

[Joy Keil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only read the copy with Dusan Petricic's illustrations (which I really like). One of my daughter's current favourites. I think we read it 5 times today....and then I finally got her to choose another book.

[Re • · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was my fave and it was freaking wild as hell. this mud ouddle was just like 'Sup, i'm here to make things dirty' and it does and harasses this little girl until she's TIRED of it's nonsense and just straight up attacks back. it's cute and makes me laugh and that's truly all that matters.

[Lindsey Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a cute book. It is a book for students to have fun reading rather than an educational theme to it. It is good for introducing simple words to kids & for reading practice or language development.

[FM Family · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic, silly Robert Munsch. Fun for a kid with the attack of the mud puddle and the constant bath taking. The end is a bit like, hmmm, ok, that's it? But a good one. I preferred the original illustrations, but maybe just because that's what I grew up with

[Robin Raines-Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mud Puddle????? Every time Jule Ann goes outside to play her not so nice friend, Mud Puddle, jumps her. Cute illustrations and a story that will put a smile on your face.

[Alex Cherniachovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book-Loved to Read it to My Sisters Children.

[Veeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really funny book about mud and the weirdness is super engaging.

[Rosanna Kauffmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

My students loooove this one. They had me read it over and over and they still talk about it months later.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite Munsch book.

[Hanna Cho · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an okay picture book because it had very little sense. Mud puddles can jump now?? But the book is very funny for kids.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute and funny. Kiddo begged for it again.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the all time favorites

kids LOVED it

GREAT author

Hilarious story

[Heather Stamper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute read aloud for Auntie Heather's Storytime.

[Tanu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely book my little cousins loved it.

[Stephen Gariepy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic

Kids love it! A story we read over and over again and every time I read it as crazy as possible