Puppy Mudge Finds a Friend: Ready-to-Read Pre-Level 1

Puppy Mudge

by Cynthia Rylant, Suçie Stevenson (Illustrator)

Puppy Mudge and his new friend, Fluffy, play and play until they get so tired that they curl up together for a nap. Who says cats and dogs can't be friends?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship, Dogs, Animals, Fiction, Cats

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Cynthia Rylant is an American author, poet, and librarian whose deeply felt books for children and young adults have made her one of the most beloved voices in contemporary literature. Writing across picture books, novels, short stories, nonfiction, and poetry, she has published more than one hundred works, many of them rooted in memory, family, solitude, and the emotional landscapes of ordinary life. Her fiction often draws from her upbringing in West Virginia and reflects the textures of Appalachian life with unusual tenderness and clarity.
Raised in modest circumstances, Rylant spent much of her childhood with her grandparents in a rural setting that later became central to her imagination as a writer. Those early years, marked by hardship as well as warmth, shaped the emotional honesty and quiet resilience that define her work. She later studied English and library science, and after working as a waitress, librarian, and teacher, she began publishing books inspired by the world she had known so intimately.
Among her most acclaimed works are Missing May, which received the Newbery Medal, and A Fine White Dust, a Newbery Honor Book. She also earned Caldecott Honors for When I Was Young in the Mountains and The Relatives Came. For younger readers, she became especially well known through the enduring Henry and Mudge series, as well as other popular books and series that combine gentleness, humor, and emotional depth.
Rylant's writing is distinguished by its compassion for lonely, searching, or overlooked characters, and by its reverence for animals, nature, and small human connections. Whether writing about grief, wonder, childhood, or belonging, she brings a lyrical simplicity that resonates across generations. Her books continue to offer comfort, recognition, and beauty to readers of all ages. She remains a singular literary presence in children's literature and beyond today.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made my day

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for emerging readers. Mudge is a lovable character, and in this story he befriends a cute little kitten named Fluffy. Even though Mudge is big and Fluffy is small, they have lots of fun playing together. The sentences are very simple but the story will still be interesting to readers. The illustrations provide good context for the story and newer words a student might struggle with, like drool and crackers.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute! Such easy text, and the illustrations of Mudge's cat friend are really darling.

[Cori Dantio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was always a fan of the Henry and Mudge books and this one was no exception!

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute emerging readers book. Very simple, short, & easy to read.

[The Book Box]

Mama read this to me before bed the other night. I loved this one because I LOVE picturing Mudge as a puppy, plus I love kittens!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gift from Santa for the boys - Christmas 2016

[Hannah Joly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that teaches students to not like other students because other friends don’t like them. Make your own friends and own choices.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are so well loved at my branch that the paper has become cloth like and soft. I once had a copy leaning against the back window and had a boy and his dad come and ask if they could check it out. This series is an enduring classic, people remember it from their youth and ask for smudge books. The Puppy series is nice because it is at a very beginning level, which is the level most parents have difficulty finding books to read that their children want to read and can read.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for beginning readers. Short, simple sentences with some repetition and a fun theme make this a great book for a child to read alone or aloud with an adult. Our girls love these books! We've borrowed this one a couple of times and our girls took turns reading it aloud to me the second time around.

[Madison Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about friends, it shows how even though a cat and dog are different they can still be freinds! This would be a great book for children who are just learning to read. Because I want to teach primary grades, I would love to add this book to my classroom. I would reccomend this book for children in preschool/kindergarten, but also struggling readers in older grades.

[Edward Creter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this simple yet sweet book. Mudge has made a friend out of a cat named Fluffy. Impossible, you say? With God, ALL things are possible. Ever see the documentary on Animal Planet where different species actually love each other? Pigs AND lions, elephants AND rhinos, penguins AND polar bears! It happens, guys!!!!!! Read this to kids! Please do!!!

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a basic storybook. With just a few words per page helps make a beginning reader easy to read. A few words repeated throughout the book. Mudge is a huge dog that later has a series of books for older children. These younger books are for beginning readers and is about Mudge as a puppy. In this one Mudge finds a good friend from a kitten.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mudge, the Puppy plays with the cat. In Puppy Mudge Takes a Bath--Henry takes a bath with Mudge, and then Mudge meets a skunk! "Ready to Read" prelevel 1 from Simon and Schuster. 1 or 2 sentences a page with delightful pictures. Puppy Mudge is charming for beginning readers.

[Erin Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. Bigger text for younger readers. Repeats the same word often which assist in recognition of the word. Also, a cat and a dog become friends so it's about friendship and being friends with someone who looks different than you.

[Ashlyn Barker-Salyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great books for early readers. Uses simple common words with a very simple storyline to help children develop confidence in their reading abilities. I wouldn't use it as a read aloud, but I would keep it in a classroom for new readers.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

what's not to like about mudge? esp when on a playdate with fluffy the cat!

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

AR 0.6

[Kim Patton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beginning reader about Puppy Musge making friends with a cat.

[Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet simplistic tale, an ode to the importance of friendship. Probably a lesson about having a diverse group of friends, too.

[Heather Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

megan winter reading 2015, megan summer reading 2016, children's book, leveled reader, easy reader, ready-to-read level 1, series, puppy mudge, first grade, second grade

[V]

Guided Reading Level D

[Bernice Seward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging, simple reader for young children.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super-easy, super-adorable book. I still can't give Mudge five stars, because I still don't like how he is drawn.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/22/17 Read with Naomi & Julia.
6/1/18 Read with Julia.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

AR 0.6