Widget & the Puppy

by Lyn Rossiter McFarland, Jim McFarland

Tail-waggin' fun!

Widget the dog lives comfortably with Mrs. Diggs and the girls, her six cats. But their routine is disrupted one day by the arrival of a lost Newfoundland puppy at the door. While Mrs. Diggs tries to find its owner, Widget is put in charge of watching the puppy. This proves no easy task, as the puppy eats the girls' food, drools on their beds, and eventually chases them up a tree. The girls are not amused, but there is little Widget can do to stop this pup with pep to spare. Eventually, Widget is so tired out that he nods off, only to awaken to a dire situation -- the puppy is stuck in a hole!

Spare text and antic artwork will have children rooting for the puppy in this new story about the characters introduced in Widget .

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Widget is back in an all new adventure in Widget & The Puppy by Lyn Rossiter McFarland. While relaxing with Mrs. Diggs and the girls, a puppy wanders in through the cat door. Mrs. Diggs puts Widget in charge of watching the puppy while she attempts to locate the owner.

Reluctantly, Widget takes on his new role. The puppy starts getting into everything! From eating the girls' food to drooling on everyone's beds, this pup proves to be a challenge.

Widget is run ragged by this mystery guest. He accidentally falls asleep and loses track of the puppy. Will he be able to find the precocious pup before Mrs. Diggs returns?

I really liked this story. Widget's character is lovable as well as funny. McFarland does a wonderful job of describing the actions of a puppy. I felt tired right along with Widget.

Jim McFarland's illustrations are vibrant and fun. Children will delight in his depictions of animals at play, especially the puppy! The expressions on the cats' faces are hilarious.

This is a wonderful read for children ages 3-6. I think that this book would also be a great gift for those who are considering adopting a puppy.

[Jaelyn Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was a very cute book. Copyright 2004. Theme friendship/responsibility. I would read this book to my younger classroom as a fun book. It could be used to teach responsibility and show that dogs just want to play, they're not trying to get into trouble.
My favorite part of the book was the final page, it made me laugh. I thought the illustration was brilliantly done, and put a perfect end to the story.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 4yo picked out this book at the library, and she was not disappointed. She giggled all through the puppy's antics, the cats' reactions, and Widget's bewilderment.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

So cute!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute story and illustrations about an older dog that finds himself the caretaker for a “Newfie.” Newfoundland puppy who has become lost in his neighborhood.

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are great. I especially love the looks on the faces of "the girls" as they are chased around the yard by the puppy. Something about the tone of the text and illustrations reminds me of how I like to personify my own pets, so reading this was enjoyable for me.
This book was in our "Dogs" library book bundle, and I'm glad I discovered it. My baby is very interested in his own dogs right now, so I'm spending a lot of time trying to emphasize the whole "dog" concept. This book is written with the assumption that the reader knows a back story, so I assume it is part of a series. I'll have to check out the original Widget book at some point.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing. Not as good as Widget.

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun-loving Westie learns to deal with babysitting a puppy for the day.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the widget series
When a stray puppy shows up, Widget the dog receives no help from the cats as he tries to look after it.

[Tiffanni Dean]

This book can be used to teach on friendship, working together, and helping build community within the classroom.

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:
not as good as the first book but still fun

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars A cute sequel to the Widget book. It was cute but I didn't like it as much as the first one...as it usually goes with sequels. All sorts of puppy fun!!

[Pug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute! Not as good as the original Widget, but it had the same feel and the same amusing style of dog vs. cat adventures.