Henry and Mudge in the Green Time

Henry and Mudge #3

by Cynthia Rylant, Suçie Stevenson (Illustrator)

Henry and his 180-pound dog Mudge are best friends forever. And in this third book of their adventures, they share summertime fun!

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

48 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1987

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

[Cat]

So magical! Reading the Henry and Mudge books always takes me back to my childhood. But this one really makes me homesick for those carefree summer days.... Love the story, love the illustrations. Just beautiful.

[J9]

A book my 6 yr old loved, a little old for my preschoolers. A solid reading level 2 book, this reader has a good amount of advanced vocabulary words, but not so long that it discourages a new reader. Used it for his read out loud book, which was perfect. It took about 15 mins for him to read and had just enough new vocabulary words to make it challenging. Also, it was a fun and interesting story he could get into. He liked it so much, he asked for more by this author. Great reading book!

[Shauna]

Branson is reading these in his reading group at school. They are simple, but help him maintain his vocabulary. He is reading books at higher levels than this, but they are a good way for him to get AR points.

[Natasha Friegang]

I love all of these books. The Kindergarten kids love the fact that they are chapter books. There is a level of adult humor that goes on, so they aren't boring to read aloud. The characters are sweet and it's fun that this is part of a series, which kids love too.

[Nora]

MCL. I liked the last part when they fell asleep on the hill.

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge]

They climb a hill. N.L.

[Christy]

brHenry and his 180-pound dog Mudge are best friends forever. And in this third book of their adventures, they share summertime fun!

[Dana Johnson]

Great for children to start getting into chapter books.

[Pauline]

Excellent book for young children.

[Shay]

I liked it because of their imagination.

[Laura]

This early chapter book has three separate stories about Henry and his dog Mudge.

Each of them is about fun things they do together in the summer.

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter]

Simple summertime adventures between a boy and his dog. Henry and Mudge enjoy picnics (but not bearings), cooling down with the hose, and afternoons spent imagining on a lush green hill. As always, this book is a great one for new readers. There is enough word and sentence variance to keep things interesting, but not enough to overwhelm or discourage. The storylines are simple but still interesting and relatable. The characters are likable.

[Le Maistre Chat]

Henry and Mudge #3. Like other very early entries in the long-running series, it's 3 short stories instead of a "chapter book". These take place in the summer before Mudge met Aunt Sally.
My 2-year-old daughter just asked for this to be read to her four times in a row. It's very cute. As a dog owner, the bath story was particularly relatable.

[Sarah]

Henry and Mudge play outside in summer. They have a picnic. Mudge comforts Henry when he gets stung by a bee. Henry gives Mudge a bath. They play knights and dragons. Wonderful real life stuff for beginning readers.

[Elizabeth]

Henry and Mudge are the best of friends: Mudge comforts Henry when he was stung by a bee; Mudge gets Henry back with a shower of water when Henry give Mudge a bath outside; Henry and Mudge are great at playing "pretend" outside in the beautiful summer on a green hill.

[Jennifer]

A great read aloud with my son. We took turns reading to each other. This series is filled with pleasant stories about a boy and his dog.

[Shanna]

I used this as a read aloud with my second graders this past week. It was a cute story that teaches my students about chapter books as well as realistic fiction.

[Debbie]

Really sweet ending to this story...fun imaginative play between a boy and his dog.

[Jodie]

Great series for beginning readers. My nephew is getting really good at reading aloud using this series. Lots more adventures to come.

[Bear]

my extreme dose of childhood nostalgia

[Karen]

Logan: I really liked it because I like The Bath. I liked it when Mudge shakes and gets Henry all wet. The best part is when it says "Then Henry dries Henry with a towel."

[K Morlando]

We really enjoyed reading this!

[Melissa]

Loving Linc reading all the Henry & Mudge books to me.
Enjoying our way through the whole series.

[Sam]

Very sweet early reader books.

[WinterBat]

Wholesome summertime stories

[Kelly Chester]

What a great book

[Emma]

Doesn't everyone get stung by a bee at least once in their childhood??

[TJE]

obsessed with the bee sting. Loves Henry and Mudge.

[Meredith]

Got a bunch of these for Little One when he was born and got this in a set from ThriftBooks a couple weeks ago because he loves them!

[Child960801]

Spring/summer time stories. Includes a story about a picnic where Henry gets stung by a bee; a story about Henry giving Mudge a bath; and a story about Henry and Mudge playing pretend on a hill.