Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas

Henry and Mudge #26

by Cynthia Rylant, Suçie Stevenson

When Henry and Mudge visit Great-Grandpa Bill, they don't know quite what to expect. But Great-Grandpa Bill and his friends sure do more than sit around in rocking chairs. From traipsing through the woods to pond swimming, these grandpas know how to have F-U-N! But by the end of the day, everyone is ready for a big bowl of spaghetti and a nap. And cuddly Mudge jsut might be the pillow tha all of the grandpas want to lean on!

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

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 26, 2005

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

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Henry and Mudge book we could enjoy. My 5 yr old loves these books, and since they're good solid level 2 reading books, they're perfect for us right now. Often, he reads them alone and we discuss later, which is wonderful because it frees up my time a little more. This was a fun story about Grandpas that my son couldn't necessarily relate to, since his Grandpa is a bit grumpy and not very engaging with children. It was an interesting thought to him that Grandpas could be fun and nice. Guess that's not saying much about my father, but it's true. He's just not the most personable person. In any case, we love these books and look forward to reading more of them.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I like swimming. I also enjoyed this book because I liked the part when Henry, Mudge, and the grandpas swam in a big pond.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the respect for the elderly in this book. And I love the appreciation of nature. Best of all, is that the simple pleasures of life can be enjoyed by any age! Love it!

[Alexandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The funny adventures of Henry and Mudge continue as they visit Henry's great-grandpa and his friends. Henry and Mudge like the grandpas and the grandpas like them as well. While they were out exploring Henry and Mudge come across a pond. They run back to tell Henry's parents about the pond which causes Henry's dad and the grandpas to want to go swimming while Henry's mom makes spaghetti for everyone. Because no one has any bathing suits Henry's father decides that they'll just have to go in their skivvies (underwear). After they are finished swimming the grandpas tell stories if their lives before heading back to Great-Grandpa Bill's house. After the spaghetti dinner everyone rested as the sun set. The story is family-focused and fun. The illustrations were simple, colorful, and it was quite amusing to see all of the grandpas in their underwear swimming around in the pond.

[Q_Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner of the first Theodore Seuss Geisel Award in 2006, this book is the 26th in the "Henry and Mudge" beginning reader chapters series by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Sucie Stevenson. As in all the books, Henry and Mudge are loving compatible friends who enjoy life and see the positive in every situation. In this book, Henry and Mudge and Henry's parents go to visit Henry's grandfather who lives with a group of other elderly men, who like to play checkers, etc., rest on Mudge when they are tired, etc. When Henry and Mudge go out exploring, they discover a pond in a beautiful meadow just the right temperature for a swim. Henry then goes back to his father, tells him about the pond and all the "grandpas" decide they want to go. Mudge, of course, goes too and lets the grandpas lean on him when they need to while they are going to and returning from the pond. This is such a sweet book, with great short descriptive language for children with varied sentence length. The way she describes the pond and the meadow and the weather, it makes me ache for spring and summer. I also like how she turns Mudge's huge size into an asset, once again, and in a tribute to the elderly portrays the grandfather and his friends as still fun-loving and appreciative of life, even if they do need to rest now and then. I think young students would find much in here to make text-to-text and text-to-self connections. It would be a great choice for discussions and writing workshop. It also is a good example of writing about what you know: Like others in the series, it is based on things in Rylant's life or her memories. Henry is based on her son and the Mudge is based on a friend's dog. Growing up in the mountains, Rylant and her friends and cousins used to travel through the woods and meadows to a swimming pond, not one as clean as this one though!

[Claire Binkley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the sense of filial piety which showed through even this book which is not east Asian.

This is a children's book, yes. However, it is respectful to older gentlemen, such as the ones who have instructed me in the secret arts and sciences of academia. (The ladies who have taught me such enigmas are, I hasten to add, by no means elderly! This was through a fluke in the system.)

So, hurrah for what everyone, regardless of age or gender, can bring to the table of understanding!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it... I would be putting this one on my list of books for my class.

[Kirstin King]

In this short chapter book, the author tells the story of a young boy, Henry, and his beloved dog, Mudge. The two are always embarking on lots of adventures together, and this time, it's to visit their grandpa, who lives in a cool house with a lot of other grandpas. Henry and Mudge have lots of fun playing checkers, talking to, and relaxing with the grandpas, but eventually, they wander off to find new adventure away from the house. When they discover a lake off in the woods, Henry and Mudge even convince the grandpas to get in on some mischevious fun. This short read is an engaging and lively story that is perfectly appropriate for any young readers.

I found this book to be a great book to use for striving readers who are beyond simple pattern books, but not quite ready for complex chapter books. The story was simple to understand, and easy to follow. the characters were simple, but developed enough for the readers to form connections with them. The added humor was a great way to keep readers engaged in the story, and overall, the storyline was compelling enough to engage little readers. I would recommend having this book, along with the rest of the series, available for any young children beginning to transition into chapter books. It is both appropriate for the level intended, while still providing enough of a challenge to grow reading ability.

In my classroom, I would utilize this book as part of a guided reading lesson for my transition readers. This would allow students to experience the book on an individual level, while still receiving teacher support and instructional strategies when appropriate. I think the comprehension strategy of asking and answering questions would be appropriate for this story, so I would focus my teaching around that. I would start by explaining the strategy, and then having students ask questions about the story based on the cover. While reading, I would plan for discussion focused around answering students questions posed at the beginning of the story, and adding new questions (I wonder what Henry and Mudge found in the woods? etc). After reading, the group would have a discussion about how they used this strategy to better understand their story, as well as learn more about what was going on in their book.

[Amie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrator: Sucie Stevenson

Copyright Date: 2006

Number of Pages: 40

Book Format: Hardcover

Grade or Reading Level: Kindergarten - 2nd grade

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Lit Requirement: Easy to Read

Topic Tags: family, dog, summer, swimming, grandpa

Summary & Review/Response:
Henry loves visiting his Great Grandpa Bill and Mudge, Henry's dog, loves visiting too! Grandpa Bill lives in a house with several other grandpas. Henry and Mudge love getting to hangout with the other grandpas too. One day, Henry and Mudge go to visit Great Grandpa Bill. They decide to go exploring, and discover a pond. Henry invites his dad and all of the grandpas to go swimming with him and Mudge. When they all agree to go, Henry learns what "skivvies" means but still has tons of fun with everyone!

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was a fun story to read and it was the perfect length. It's longer than a typical picture book but it isn't too long. This makes it appeal to young readers. They get the ability to read a more advanced book, but still have the simple vocabulary. I would recommend this book to young readers that need something that want to read something a little more challenging than a picture book.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry and Mudge love to go and visit their great Grandpas house. Not only were they excited to see all the great grandpas, but they were also excited to see what new adventures they would come upon being there. When Henry's parents came in and saw all the grandpas Henry and Mudge when back to the woods to explore and came across a swimming pond. All the grandpas, Henry, Mudge, and his dad all went swimming in their underwear. Henry never knew how much fun he could have with his grandpa's house and now knows and is excited to go back again. I liked this book because is simple and enjoyable. the students will love it and they can relate to it by telling all the stories about visiting their grandparent's house also.

[Lydia Johns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit, I'm a bit partial to the Henry and Mudge series. While I wouldn't say this is one of my favorites, it is still endearing and enjoyable. Most children can relate to going and visiting their grandparents, either at home or in an assisted living facility, and this is the case with Henry. Henry and Mudge visit his Great Grandpa, along with a community of some other pretty cool, "great" grandpas. His Great Grandpa reminds me of the bank founder in Mary Poppins. In this movie, Dick van Dyke plays a bank founder, in full makeup, including a snow white beard, just like Henry's great grandfather.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

One sunny day, Henry and Mudge go to visit great grandpa. They arrived and he loved his grandpa. They played and eat butterscotch candy. Then Henry's parents arrived so he left to explore. They both leave and find many adventures out near his great grandpas land. Then he returned home he told them about the pond they found. Then they all go have fun in the pond. Henry realises then how fun great grandpas can be. Great short story, easy to follow with. I like how it defines many words that small readers find difficult. Such as the words skivvies a.k.a underwear.

[Daniel Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a look into how important family can be to us. I loved that this a theme of the book. I think that it is great that the author is teaching young kid about this. I think many children take their parents for granted and wish they would just leave them alone sometimes. This book shows that the interactions that you have with your family can make you happy, and make you feel good. I love that Henry feels so good after being with his grandpas because that is how I feel when I am with my grandparents. I found this book relatable, and the theme that it conveys is fantastic.

[Nikki Tuchek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story, "Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas" is a silly story about being adventurous at any age. A little boy, Henry, and his dog, Mudge, and his parents went to go visit Henry's Great Grandpa Bill. He lived with other grandpas, who were adventurous. This story is full of adorable actions and silliness. I think that children would love this book because of the fun, silly story and the humor.

[Heidi Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it was the first book to win the Geisel award. The pictures depicted and the rhythm of the book really show why it received this award. It it entertains, challenges, and is very relatable for young readers. I could create an extension assignment to this book to have students write about memories with their own grandparents. In my experience, young children tend to have fond experiences with them so it would be entertaining.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, Love, LOVED this book! As more and more people are marrying later and later, and as families are super mobile and more and more often move away from their hometowns, less and less children know their grandparents or great grandparents. This can create a fear or unease around older people.

I love how books like this one (and Cynthia Rylant's Mr. Putter series) show how easy it is to love older people - because they are just the rest of us.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been one of my favorite Henry and Mudge books! It is charming and fun, and the kids even learned a new word. Both boys and girls will be entertained from the beginning and pick up on the charming characters from the book. This certainly will get them hooked if they haven't already read other books on the silly adventures of Henry and his mutt.

[Nicole Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Light colors, light faint lines. Good for introducing chapter books into the classroom. Engaging, step by step adventure leaving the reader to want to know what will happen next. Language isn't exciting, story is mundane and I wouldn't use it in my classroom. It didn't cause an emotions to come out or excitement.

[Connor Filipovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to read these books growing up and they were a personal favorite. These books are always silly, but always have a message as well. During this particular book in the series, the lesson is that there is always a sense of youth in a person, no matter how old. The grandparents were like children in this story, and it was great to read.

[Ellee Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copyright date: 2005
Star rating: 4
Award: Diesel award and more
Genre: beginner chapter book
Summary w/ themes: In this Henry and Mudge book, His family goes to visit the grandpas and have a fun day at the lake.
Use for future classroom: This would be a good beginner chaprter book to keep in my library
Thoughts of book: I thought this was a cute book

[Inna Han · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to see Henry and Mudge doing their best to take care of the grandfathers. All of the grandfathers are also warm-hearted . I could see they also try to take care of Henry in their own way, although they are old and feel tired easily.

[Maria Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

• 2006 Geisel Winner •

I liked the colorful, cheerful art and the story was simple, sweet and heartwarming!

Materials used: pen-and-ink and watercolor
Typeface used: 18-pt. Goudy

[Kaitlyn Kluesner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for beginning readers. Henry and Mudge go over to great grandpas house and find out that the grandpas love having fun in the swimming pond. I thought this was a cute story that young children may be able to relate to.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for Henry and Mudge's visit to his Great-Grandpa and the asst. living with other 'GREAT' grandpas.
It really shows the connectivity of family, cute illustrations, and fun simple storyline.
Good if you want a kid who enjoys dogs and a series.
Geisel Award Winner

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

At his grandpa's (old folks?) home, Henry finds a pond (remembers that he isn't supposed to swim with out his parents supervision) and goes to tell everyone. All the men go swimming in their underwear while mom makes spaghetti for dinner.

[Cheryl Neer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has long been great for second graders. This 26th book in the series is culturally relevant and I appreciate the sweet intergenerational and interracial relationships mixed in with the fabulous dog Mudge.

[Junior Bodden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a kid named Henry who visit his grandpa and his dog Mudge. His grandpa lived along with other grandpas they always visit them. Midge loved the grandpa! Henry discovered a pong and find out how much the grandpas would have!

[Emily Knickerbocker]

This book is about Henry and his dog Mudge visiting not only Henry's grandpa but all the other grandpas as well. They have a great adventure, and everyone is happy. I would have the students tell me the order of events. What came first, and what happened after that?

[Le Maistre Chat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry, Mudge and their parents go to visit great-grandpa Bill at the assisted living facility where he lives with other grandpas.
I was surprised to see such a positive depiction of a retirement home. Rylant wrote a lot of positive, even idealized slice-of-life stories in this series.

[Sabapathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book to read for children, they enjoying more to read these books.