What do you think?
Rate this book
Henry and Mudge #12
Henry and Mudge and the Wild Wind
Storms make Henry jump. They make his big dog Mudge even jumpier. When the thunder goes pow!, Mudge goes to hide. Poor Mudge! How can Henry help his best friend?
40 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 1993
8 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Rylant
515 books862 followersAn 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
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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
June 23, 2017
Henry helps nervous Mudge cope with the thunder and lightning of a bad storm, using imagination and kindness.
August 30, 2017
great story about a dog afraid of thunder and his boy trying to help.
Didn't remember reading this, was going to give the book only two stars. Now i see the father as being cruel for having the boy help Mudge alone, the mother and father should have gotten off their butts and helped comfort him.
Didn't remember reading this, was going to give the book only two stars. Now i see the father as being cruel for having the boy help Mudge alone, the mother and father should have gotten off their butts and helped comfort him.
January 20, 2022
This book series is excellent and I'm reviewing one of my favorites from it as a stand-in for the series as a whole with an eye for parents reading to children. The stories are written so that they can be easily read with nice sentence variety. The stories are straightforward themes of companionship with family, nature, and animals.
My only negative review of the series is that the books don't always tap into a "higher register" of themes that form and shape the mind but that's not really the aim of these books. I'll sit down and read nearly any book from this series with my kids anytime they ask and that's distinctive enough to be great.
My only negative review of the series is that the books don't always tap into a "higher register" of themes that form and shape the mind but that's not really the aim of these books. I'll sit down and read nearly any book from this series with my kids anytime they ask and that's distinctive enough to be great.
June 7, 2021
As a thunderstorm rolls in on a hot summer day, Henry learns some ways to distract himself from his fear while also missing his best friend Mudge. Children who have a pet that is afraid of thunderstorms will likely relate to Henry’s feelings in this story. As always, Rylant’s work is great to read aloud together with a parent, or independently for early readers. She manages to use a wide, yet accessible vocabulary to add interest to the book. The adventures are engaging and relatable to young children in the kindergarten-2nd grade age group.
May 24, 2025
Merely average Henry and Mudge to me, but something of a hit with my 2-year-old.
Nice theme for kids of overcoming a phobia (of the wind for Henry: not clear that Mudge overcomes the same fear)
Like playing spy in "Sneaky Crackers", we see Henry playing pretend again. This time Henry's a soldier and Mudge a POW, which my daughter currently has no context for imagining. So I wonder what she's getting out of that part.
Nice theme for kids of overcoming a phobia (of the wind for Henry: not clear that Mudge overcomes the same fear)
Like playing spy in "Sneaky Crackers", we see Henry playing pretend again. This time Henry's a soldier and Mudge a POW, which my daughter currently has no context for imagining. So I wonder what she's getting out of that part.
August 6, 2019
Mudge is afraid of storms, and Henry has a strategy to try to help him. When that doesn't work, Henry's dad comes up with another idea. They have a cozy time safe inside until the storm is over and they see the rainbow after the storm.
Read
August 12, 2025Robbie - “Thumbs up because it was funny because it blew Henry’s hat away. And it wasn’t real when Henry’s father said watch out for scorpions.”
Zoey - “Thumbs down because electricity went out and there was a thunderstorm. But that was just pretend.”
Zoey - “Thumbs down because electricity went out and there was a thunderstorm. But that was just pretend.”
March 10, 2017
I did not like this book because I do not like thunderstorms. I also did not like this book because this book had a thunderstorm in it.
April 17, 2018
Another great one! Kids will love this series!
January 30, 2020
Another Cynthia Rylant series we adore...
August 10, 2020
Love Henry and Mudge!
February 11, 2021
A thunderstorm frightened Henry and Mudge. Henry's parents helped Henry and Mudge to cope. When the storm cleared there was a rainbow.
November 10, 2021
Sooo… I guess Mudge wasn’t having any of Henry’s shit because he just went off to be alone even though Henry was trying to “rescue” him.
March 1, 2022
We love Henry and Mudge.
May 24, 2022
Super cute book
November 14, 2023
Henry & Mudge is a great series. I love all the books, but this one is in the top 5.
March 24, 2025
While these aren’t the most exciting books to teach, they’re written in a basic, easy to understand way that my ESL students can follow, even if they’re not blown away.
April 3, 2025
I love when students bring in books. I’ve never read this book or any of the others. It’s a super cute book!
May 11, 2015
My son and I both thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series and were excited to find out what would happen as we started each one. Because my son was between 5-6 years old (he's an advanced reader) at the time, he easily identified with Henry and loved Mudge because (1) he desperately wanted a dog, and (2) Mudge's goofiness was endearing AND hilarious.
Read Aloud: Pre-K and Kindergarten
Introduces plot, character development, foreshadowing, and use of imagery.
Independent Reading: First or Second grade (6-7 years old). More complex sentence structure than "Mr. Putter Series" and slightly longer paragraphs. Short chapters (with clever titles), character development, humor, and an easy to follow plot will encourage all children to read.
Underlying themes of friendship, thoughtfulness, and responsibility are seamlessly weaved throughout the book. Although this is a fairly simple children's book, I found myself laughing out loud at the many adventures of Henry and Mudge.
HIGHLY Recommend!!
Read Aloud: Pre-K and Kindergarten
Introduces plot, character development, foreshadowing, and use of imagery.
Independent Reading: First or Second grade (6-7 years old). More complex sentence structure than "Mr. Putter Series" and slightly longer paragraphs. Short chapters (with clever titles), character development, humor, and an easy to follow plot will encourage all children to read.
Underlying themes of friendship, thoughtfulness, and responsibility are seamlessly weaved throughout the book. Although this is a fairly simple children's book, I found myself laughing out loud at the many adventures of Henry and Mudge.
HIGHLY Recommend!!
July 23, 2015
Henry and his dog Mudge are best friends and they share everything. In this story they are both scared of the storm coming in. Mudge runs around the house and hides in the couch and in the bathroom. Henry whistles when he gets scared. But his dad help him to not be afraid by coming up with a game he can do while the lights are out and it's thundering and lighting. He does what his dad recommends and it helps him not be so afraid. Great book to help children who maybe afraid of storms.
This is a chapter book but is a beginning chapter book words aren't real hard so a level 2 reader could probably read this on their own if not then with some help. Or it just a fun book to read out loud as I did to my 3 year old granddaughter.
This is a chapter book but is a beginning chapter book words aren't real hard so a level 2 reader could probably read this on their own if not then with some help. Or it just a fun book to read out loud as I did to my 3 year old granddaughter.
February 24, 2015
Age range: 3-7
Personal reaction:
-I enjoy reading this book because Henry tried hard to help his dog not to be afraid of the thunderstorms. Also, I like how the family set and played cards together. The words in the story are great; for example, rippled, flapped, whined, and nodded. The sentences in it are simple and short.
Purpose,
-Read aloud for three years old children,
-Children would be able to learn about what to do when the thunderstorm is coming.
Curriculum,
Read aloud.
Discuss different ways to help others when they are afraid of something.
Talk about what a family could do together. Talk about the relationships between the child and parents.
Personal reaction:
-I enjoy reading this book because Henry tried hard to help his dog not to be afraid of the thunderstorms. Also, I like how the family set and played cards together. The words in the story are great; for example, rippled, flapped, whined, and nodded. The sentences in it are simple and short.
Purpose,
-Read aloud for three years old children,
-Children would be able to learn about what to do when the thunderstorm is coming.
Curriculum,
Read aloud.
Discuss different ways to help others when they are afraid of something.
Talk about what a family could do together. Talk about the relationships between the child and parents.
January 17, 2011
This book would be great for students who are just being introduced to the world of chapter books. Each section is short, but the reader still feels like they can take a break if they choose. The story could certainly be relateable to students since it talks about what a boy and his dog do on a stormy day. While the storyline is not always engaging, it still does an effective job at bridging the gap between children's and young adults' books.
February 22, 2012
I thought this was a really cute book. It explains Henry's experience during thunderstorms with his dog and could potentially teach other kids not to get scared when they are in the presence of a thunderstorm. The pictures went really well with the story and it was a really easy read. They were divided up into little chapters so that kids can get a sense of what a longer read might be like and to boost their confidence knowing that they read something similar to a chapter book.
November 16, 2012
My 2nd grader is learning to love reading with this series. This one is his favorite so far, since it's about the drama black-out that happens during a thunderstorm, and Henry finds himself consoling a frightened Mudge.
Rylant does a great job reflecting the inner thoughts and feelings of a 2nd grade boy and makes Mudge believably quirky dog.
Rylant does a great job reflecting the inner thoughts and feelings of a 2nd grade boy and makes Mudge believably quirky dog.
August 4, 2009
Henry and Mudge are playing outside when a thunderstorm comes and they have to go inside. The rest of the book follows their adventure during the storm - and Mudge doesn't like the thunder and lightning. This is another fun book in the "Henry and Mudge" series and our girls want to read more!
October 5, 2010
Henry and Mudge are scared of thunderstorms! When it storms, Mudge does some silly things like pace around the table and hide his head in the couch. Henry whistles. Henry's father teaches him a game to play while it storms, and pretty soon the storm is over and they can go back outside again!
May 15, 2013
Another wonderful Cynthia Rylant early reader series, much enjoyed by kids kindergarten through 2d grade. Sweet, gentle stories about the relationship between a boy and his very big dog. Many kids love them, but boys seem to gravitate toward them most.
September 15, 2023
Henry and Mudge go inside Henry's house during a storm. Mudge is afraid of storms. The power goes out. Henry's father encourages him to play pretend, and then the storm ends. I enjoy the theme of Mudge's love for crackers throughout the series.
February 9, 2008
Rebekah just giggles everytime Mudge goes to bury his head in the couch when there's thunder.
February 14, 2008
This book makes my mommy and I laugh so hard we cry! It's my favorite Henry & Mudge book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews