Henry and Mudge - The First Book

Henry and Mudge #1

by Cynthia Rylant, Suçie Stevenson (Illustrator)

The first book in the acclaimed Ready-to-Read series from Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant featuring Henry and his lovable 180-pound dog, Mudge.

Henry, feeling lonely on a street without any other children, finds companionship and love in a big dog named Mudge.

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

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

An author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and young adults as well as an author and author/illustrator of picture books for children, Cynthia Rylant is recognized as a gifted writer who has contributed memorably to several genres of juvenile literature. A prolific author who often bases her works on her own background, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains, she is the creator of contemporary novels and historical fiction for young adults, middle-grade fiction and fantasy, lyrical prose poems, beginning readers, collections of short stories, volumes of poetry and verse, books of prayers and blessings, two autobiographies, and a biography of three well-known children's writers; several volumes of the author's fiction and picture books are published in series, including the popular "Henry and Mudge" easy readers about a small boy and his very large dog.

Rylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers.

from bookrags.com

Reviews

[Courtney Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: I really enjoyed this book. I remember reading Henry and Mudge books as a kid, but I did not remember any specific details. This is what made it so fun to read this chapter book. It was like being a kid and reading it all over again.

Read Aloud: This is a cute short chapter book and so it would be easy to read in a day with children during reading time. There is not much educational value in this book, but it would be fun to do a creative writing piece along with it. Henry got a dog and all of his worries about everything at school, etc. went away. A good journaling activity would be to ask if there is anything in their lives similar to what Henry went through when he got Mudge. Has a pet ever made you feel better and why?

Independent Read: This a transitional book. It has chapters in it and longer sentences and paragraphs. I think second to third grader would be able to read this book. It would be a little challenging for a second grader, but probably relatively easy for a third grader to read. This book would be good for someone who is in love with their dog or pet of any kind.

For Narrative: This is probably going to one of the child's first chapter books. This would be a good book to use foreshadowing as a literary teaching device. After each chapter, you could have them stop and journal a paragraph or two on what they think is going to happen next. After reading the next chapter they could take time to reflect and then foreshadow what will happen in the next chapter until the end of the book.

[Steve Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's time for another blast from the past! I must spend a Saturday reflecting on a favorite early transitional chapter book from my childhood. I read so many of these as a child, and I have most of them for my own classroom. The characters and stories are appealing to young kids, and it's a nice step up from the typical picture book. The chapters and longer length help reading confidence tremendously, and the illustrations and larger text keep kids grounded enough to what they're used to with books. The very first one that started it all is cute story that introduces readers to the two main characters.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: Henry had no brothers and no sisters. "I want a brother," he told his parents. "Sorry," they said. Henry had no friends on his street. "I want to live on a different street," he told his parents. "Sorry," they said. Henry had no pets at home. "I want to have a dog," he told his parents. "Sorry," they almost said. But first they looked at their house with no brothers and sisters. Then they looked at their street with no children. Then they looked at Henry's face. Then they looked at each other.

Premise/plot: Henry and his dog Mudge star in Cynthia Rylant's early chapter book series. This is the first book in the series. It is about when Henry gets Mudge, or, perhaps when Mudge gets Henry. It is about what they mean to each other. Later chapters in this book explore this devotion. Mudge learns a lesson about staying close to home.

My thoughts: I really adore Cynthia Rylant's work. What do I love? I love her writing, her narrative style, her pacing. There's something delightful about her phrasing. "Every day when Henry woke up, he saw Mudge's big head. And every day when Mudge woke up, he saw Henry's small face."

I don't know that it would be fair to compare Henry and Mudge with the Mr. Putter and Tabby series. I'm glad both exist.

[Taryn Vogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transitional

Personal Reaction: I absolutely LOVE Henry and Mudge books. I grew up reading these. They are actually some of the books that helped me become a reader. That said, I would definitely use these in my classroom because I think they are a great tool that teachers can use to help their students learn to read. They are always very fun plot lines that the students will want to read.

Purpose: A big component of these books are character development. Being such a big series of books, students have the opportunity to grow with these two characters. They also have the opportunity to go on all of the adventures these two get in to. I think groups of transitional reading students would like to read together. If the book is about two best friends, why not read them with your friends in your class? That way the readers can grow together and improve their literacy skills. The illustrations are always light and fun, which will tie into the students want to read more of them.

[Audwee Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love their inseparable relationship 💞

[Bertlyn Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm 69 years old and couldn't remember if I had read these books. I've enjoyed the first one and I'm going to encourage my grandkids to read it. Then I'll say let's read the next one and so on. Little kids book club here we come.
I asked my adult book club members if I could add these to my groen up one. They laughed and said NO.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry is an only child who wants someone or something to play with, so his parents decide to get him a dog. Henry picks Mudge as a puppy and watches him grow to be a big dog. They do everything together - walking to school, exploring, and even sleeping. When Mudge gets lost one day, he is lonely and Henry is worried, but they do find their ways back to each other. This also teaches them a lesson about how important one is to the other.

I read this for a library licensing class, so I read it with a critical eye about format and design. This is a sweet tale about a boy and his dog. It will also be an easy read for younger readers because of its short sentences and few lines on the page.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I've ever read a Henry and Mudge Book before. This one is so sweet! I will definitely keep these in mind for when my son starts to read.

[Della Tingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely precious! This little book is delightful and happy, the perfect book for young readers. ❤️

[Tym · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sweet, the love of a boy and his dog

[Lee]

Have I ever mentioned I want a really ginormous dog?

[Madison Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids felt indifferent towards this book lol

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m buying this entire series. So cute and of course because his name is Henry.

[Courtney Raymer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response: I was actually pretty familiar with these books when I was younger they were very popular but I never really read them. But I decided to use the book for goodreads and really enjoyed the book. Even though it was a pretty basic chapter book it still gave beginning readers confidence and the story lines were cute as well. I also chose this book because it is in a series and if a child really enjoys reading these and can handle them they can continue to read many books just like it. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

Purpose:
-independent reading: I believe this book is written for a beginning reader, this book has a lexile of 460 and could be good for children in the middle of grade 2. Since this is a series it has a common background of a boy and a dog but has a variety of stories the two encounter which is good for a wide variety of interests. These books require little knowledge demands and is pretty straightforward when it comes to language and sentence structure. The story is about a family and a dog, these are two very common topics that children at a young age would understand. It has very simple meaning as well so it's easy for new readers to follow. There are pretty detailed pictures on each page allowing readers to use the images to help follow the meaning of the story if they are confused at some point. There are only a couple sentences on each page so it isn't overwhelming either. The writing on each page switches between top and bottom but it is easy to follow because the pictures end where the writing starts or vice versa.
-this book could also be given to new readers to introduce a narrative which has plot and setting. These books create a basic story line for children to follow and understand which could be great to create questions on or activities requiring them to retell some part of the story.

[Alyssa Ruehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal reaction –
I liked this book. I have heard of them before when I was young, however, I have never read it. Reading them now made me appreciate all of the series I read when I was little, and going on the same adventure they go on.

read aloud to make a curricular connection
I would read this aloud to kindergarteners for the purpose of literary elements, such as plot and structure. There is a definite storyline, which students would be able to identify. The humor within this book would help the students pay attention and enjoy reading it.

independent reading
This would be good for students around the age of first to second grade. It would be great for students who have a dog, because the boy goes on an adventure with his dog. It is also an easy book to read, because there are only about 2-3 sentences on each page, which will help students follow the story without it being too difficult. If the students like this book, they can be encouraged to read the next book in the series, which will encourage the child to read more. This is also a chapter book, which will give the student the confidence they need to become good readers.

For narrative: literary elements that could be taught using the book
This could be used as an introduction for students to plot and setting. There is a basic storyline which will help kids understand how to follow the story as well.

[Sownbrooklyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot of emotion packed into Henry and Mudge: The First Book. The feelings of isolation and lonesomeness that Henry expresses are powerful and extremely well written, though simple and straightforward. After rejecting his initial requests his parents decide that his request for a pet can be granted. He carefully selects the perfect dog for him; little did he know that Mudge would be more dog than he could ever wish for. They become fast friends and Henry is a different child with Mudge by his side. The feeling is mutual. Mudge does not like to be away from Henry and when he ventures out to look for him one day, he gets lost. The feelings of loneliness return when Mudge is lost. Henry decides that he must go and look for his dog. Henry and Mudge have the sweetest reunion. They were already appreciative of one another, but after their separation, they are sure that they must never be apart again. Henry is perhaps a little better at expressing himself than most children his age. Despite that, I think his peers share the feelings and reading about them in this story may be a great thing for them.

[Linsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry and Mudge is a story about a boy named Henry that is a bit lonely and doesn’t have any friends. Henry asks his parents for a dog and to his surprise is given a very small puppy he names Mudge. We follow the two and watch as Mudge not only becomes a huge, happy, and loving Dog but Henry’s Best friend. This easy to read book is the first of many tales that Cynthia Rylant writes. Sucie Stevenson provides simple illustrations that mirrors Rylant’s beginning reader text. Stevenson’s illustrations also give the comfort of a picture book to early readers. I can remember reading many Henry and Mudge books as a child. Their adventures always seemed like so much fun. Their exciting tales not only made me want and enjoy reading but also made me want a dog like Mudge.
I would recommend this book and the whole series of Henry and Mudge books to teachers and parents with young children that are struggling to read or just want an entertaining start!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Early chapter book. I loved the simple, clean language that was still so expressive and lovely to read. Loved the description of Henry's lemony hair, milky mouth, soapy ears, and chocolate fingers as Mudge breathes him in! Cynthia really tells a wonderful, heartwarming story. The love between Henry and Mudge is so real. She conveys Henry's state of mind so well... when he has Mudge to all to school with you can tell that he is more at ease because he stops thinking of bullies and thinks instead of ice cream. The words do tell the story and the illustrations are complements to the words. So beautifully done. I admired this book very much and have read it several times over!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard so many good things about this book and that it is hugely popular. Perhaps I had too many expectations, then. I'm not sure I was completely dazzled, but it is a very sweet story told in simple words (good for beginning read-on-my-own readers) about the friendship between a boy and his dog.

[Mya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning was a little rocky, but the overall story was not bad.

[Caren Levin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Henry and Mudge – The First Book

Author: Cynthia Rylant

Illustrator: Sucie Stevenson

Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Transitional Chapter Book

Theme(s): Dog, Fiction, Play

Opening line/sentence: “Henry had no brothers and no sisters. “I want a brother,” he told his parents. “Sorry,” they said. Henry had no friends on his street.

Brief Book Summary: Henry had no friends or siblings, so after begging his parents, he finally was able to pick out a dog. He chose Mudge, an 180 lb. dog and they became best friends. But one day, Mudge couldn’t wait to go on a walk, so he went by himself and got lost. Henry was so upset when he woke up to find Mudge missing. He decided to look for Mudge and after a long time of looking, he finally found Mudge. They both were so happy to be reunited and they never left each other’s side.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Recorded Books (Recorded Books, LLC.)
“Henry has no brothers or sisters, so he asks his parents for a dog. When they choose Mudge, the wriggling puppy has floppy ears and straight, soft fur. Mudge is tiny. But Henry knows he’ll grow. Now Mudge is three feet tall, and he’s the best friend Henry has ever had. Mudge trots to school with Henry, and he sleeps on Henry’s bed. But one day the big dog goes for a walk by himself and gets lost. When Henry comes home from school, he is along. Where’s Mudge? Cynthia Rylant’s Henry and Mudge books are filled with the wonderful adventures of the young boy and his lovable dog. Designated as Ready-to Read books, they are perfect for beginning readers. The First Book moves along at a frisky pace and teaches quiet lessons about friendship and security.”

Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Sylvia Marantz (The Five Owls, March/April 1987) (Vol. 1, No. 4)
“We can never have too many good stories to lure the beginning reader. They are most satisfying for all readers, including parents and teachers, when they present characters we care about doing interesting things, depicted in an appealing, un-intimidating format using the necessarily limited vocabulary. Cynthia Rylant has met the challenge. Although the text in these first two books in her series about Henry and his dog Mudge does not have the poetic lilt of some of her other picture books, her depiction of the relationships of boy, dog and family and of Henry’s thoughts and emotions raise these above other similar stories. In short chapters in The First Book, Henry chooses Mudge, their mutual love grows as he does, Mudge is almost lost, but all is well at the satisfying end. In Puddle Trouble, Henry struggles with the ethical question of whether to pick the first flower or let it grow as mother advises. Mudge solves his dilemma. They have a glorious time in a puddle, with Father surprisingly joining them. Finally Mudge heroically defends some kittens. Sucie Stevenson catches their spirit in her simplified but naturalistic black outlined lively watercolor illustrations. I wish they were more even in their effective reflection of the text and more consistent in their anatomical accuracy. First graders listened intently to both these books, found many things to discuss, empathized with Henry, worried about Mudge, cheered the endings. Most important of all, they were eager to read them on their own.”

Response to Two Professional Reviews:
The reviewer’s mention how appealing and appropriate this book is to beginning readers. The plot is about a close-knit friendship between a dog and a young boy. The way the stories are written follow a poetic, quick pace, easy read. This helps beginner readers follow along. Similarly, the illustrations are calm, watercolor pictures that allude to the important scenes within the story. This is a great transitional book to use with student’s challenging their reading abilities.

Evaluation of Literary Elements:
The plot contains a beginning, middle and end, along with a problem and solution. Unlike the other stories, this book you can clearly locate the different parts of the book. The setting takes place in a neighborhood, at a school, which can be really relatable to a lot of young readers. This makes the book a lot more appealing to the reader because they can place themselves in Henry’s situation. The pictures simply guide the reader visually as the text directs the story.

Consideration of Instructional Application:
For an activity, I would have my students identify the parts in the book that they believe are the beginning, middle and end. From there, we would create our own stories and also identify the beginning, middle and end. Another activity could be identifying different words that are repeated multiple times throughout the story. We could go over all the words so that the students understand and can read them.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriately titled "The First Book", the Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant follows the adventures of a young boy, Henry, and his beloved 180 pound dog Henry. Henry has no brothers and sisters and no friends on his street. He asks his parents for a brother and they say no. He asks if they could live on a different street; again, no. But when he asks for a dog, they see his loneliness and say yes! Henry chooses the perfect dog, ears that don't stand-up, no curly hair, and no short ones. He choose Mudge because even though he was short, he was a puppy and would grow. Little did they know he would grow to 3 feet tall and 180 pounds.

Henry used to be afraid to walk to school worrying "about tornadoes, ghosts, biting dogs, and bullies." But when Mudge walks him to school he "thinks about vanilla ice cream, rain, rocks and good dreams."

Rylant divides the story into chapters written from each character's point of view. We learn how much Henry loves and needs Mudge, and how much Mudge loves and needs Henry. In one of Mudge's chapters, he goes for a walk without Henry. He crosses fields and streams, and wanders through a forest until he is lost. He can't see or smell Henry and lays down, missing Henry and his warm bed.

In the next chapter, Henry thinks that Mudge has left but realizes he must be lost since he knows how much Mudge loves him. Henry walks through the same fields, crosses the same stream, and wanders through the forest calling Mudge's name. Finally Mudge hears him and the pair is reunited. Henry and Mudge do everything together, but now when Henry goes to school, Mudge stays at home and doesn't wander away.

The illustrations by Sucie Stevenson are colorful and childlike, capturing a boy and his dog perfectly. They are energetic and made all my children fall in love with Mudge.

I read these books to my children starting in pre-school and they continued to read them by themselves for several years.

[Olivia Fuchsluger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry and Mudge: The First Book by Cynthia Rylant. This story is a biography for children of the ages four through eight. This story is written by someone other than Henry, telling the story about his life. This story is about a little boy named Henry who was feeling lonely and wanted a dog. The whole story is about all of the adventures Henry and his dog went through. This story is the first of many. There are many different stories about Henry and his dog. I would rate this book a four. This book was written very well. I think this story is easy for children to read and comprehend of what is going on. This story is also skillful for children. They can use what they know so far in the story, to guess what will happen next. Every page has an illustration and they match up well to what that page is talking about. I think it is great that this book is a collection. There are many other books that follow after this one with the same characters Henry and Mudge. This makes this book more interesting because children will want to finish this book to start another. I would use this story to teach about responsibility and things that are important to someone, since Mudge is extremely important to Henry

[Madeline Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a very simple and charming chapter book. It allows young readers get a taste of reading a longer book. It is a tale of a young boy named Henry and his first dog Mudge. It allows the reader to see the relationship between them both. However, one day judge walks off without Henry and becomes lost. Henry distraught over the loss of his dog is worried where he is and begins looking for Mudge. In this book students are able to relate to the story if they have owned their own pets. Students enjoy learning about animals and their relationships with others. It is also broken into chapters that focus on one particular character making it easy for the reader to keep straight.

The illustrations are watercolor. They are simple and allow the reader to focus more on the words on the page than the illustrations. The illustrations are rather small and are not the main focus of the story. It allows the reader to see what is being described, however it does not take away from the importance of the words on the page. Overall it is a very useful book in the classroom however it does not stand out amongst other books.

[Matin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to love reading Henery and Mudge books when I was younger. This is the first book in the series of the Henery and Mudge books. This series is about a young boy named Henery and his dog named Mudge and the adventure and different experiences they have together. This book, in particular, is about when henerty and his huge dog meet each other and instantly become best friends. This book would be great to introduce to my students as the next step up from a picture book. There are still illustrations in this book so students would be able to follow along if they become confused with the text. This book would also be great for ELL students that are learning to read books that are a bit more difficult than regular picture books. This is because they would be able to look at the illustrations in this book and follow along if the meaning of words in the book becomes too difficult to understand.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not easy to find good chapter books for a newly-turned three-year-old. You need short chapters, enough action or humor to be attention-keeping, and (ideally) for it to not be so utterly inane that it makes the adult reading want to shoot herself.

Unfortunately, Henry and Mudge failed on the latter two criteria. Part of that is by design--it's intended to be a book for children learning to read rather than one that is read to them. And for that, I can forgive the simple sentences and complete lack of complex vocabulary. But even a simple early reader can be interesting! H, who is generally very engaged in the books I read her, asked me, as I was reading the last chapter, who Mudge was--a sure sign of complete disengagement and a lack of interest.

A "no" from the grownup and a "no" from the kid mean this is one series we are definitely not bringing home from the library again.

[Sophie McKenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry and Mudge books are great tools for young readers. They are easy to read with simple vocabulary but the length of the books allows for students to grow their reading skills. Henry and Mudge books follow the relationship between a boy, Henry, and his dog Mudge. They are best friends and do everything together. This books are very relatable to anyone who has a pet that they love. Henry and Mudge go on all sorts of adventures and get in all sorts of situations together. I am sure many children can relate to going on adventures and getting into sticky situations with their friends or their pets, so reading about it and having a shared experience can help readers stay engaged and want to keep reading. These books are so great because they help students learn to read and enjoy reading, while being engaging and fun books for all ages.

[Anjanabiswa]

By Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Sucie Stevenson
Summary: A lonely boy wants to have a companion, so his parents let him get a dog. The boy doesn't want a small dog but a big dog. So the boy chooses his dog and names him Mudge. The boy and Mudge are inseparable.

Evaluation of Illustrations/Text: The illustrations are in vivid color with detail. The illustrations are drawn and in marker color.The illustrations sometimes fill the page and are in between text paragraphs. The text is in paragraphs per page. The text is in short chapters.

Strategies for Use in the Classroom:
Paraphrase story - The student can write about each chapter in their own words to understand the story better and draw out what is important to them in the story.

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry And Mudge is the book that started it all, the volume that put Cynthia Rylant on the kids lit map. It's the first of a long running book series that anyone with kids, a beloved dog, or both can identify with. Henry is a small boy with no siblings, no pets and no one to watch over him but mom an dad. The parents cave in to his request for a pet pooch. And he's got one in Mudge, a big puppy who quickly grows Marmaduke size. And like Marmaduke", he's fiercely loyal and devoted to the boy. Their friendship will stand the test of time, as long as the books continue and Rylant comes up with ideas. Mudgy belongs on the same shelf as Jack London's Buck and White Gang. He's terrific.
Four stars
Let fans wallow in the MUDGE!!

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

Henry and Mudge were some of my favorite books as a child, and they are still are wonderful. I love Cynthia Rylant’s writing style. This is a book for early readers, but she manages to make the limited word choice and repetition come across in a natural way. Plus, the story is good, and interesting enough to read as a read aloud while many other books at this level don’t quite hold interest as well.
In the First Book, Henry asks his parents for a dog since he is lonely without siblings or friends in the neighborhood. He finds his perfect dog, Mudge. The book explores the love between a child and their pet, but also has a poignant moment when Mudge is lost and then found again, and it changes the relationship between the two bringing them even closer together.