Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat

Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat. (Henry and Mudge #8) Cynthia Rylant. Sucie Stevenson. 1990. Simon & Schuster. 48 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: One night Henry and Henry's father and Henry's big dog Mudge were watching TV.

Premise/plot: Henry's family takes in a stray cat; this stray cat is unique looking: it looks like mashed prunes. The family is happy to take the cat in--for a few days, a few weeks. But because having Mudge is like having five dogs--that they can't take the cat into their home permanently.

The first chapter is about taking the stray cat into their home. The second chapter is about how happy the cat is in her new home, and, how much Mudge loves being mothered by the cat. Essentially the family does come to like the cat. The third chapter is "bittersweet" I suppose. The cat's original owner is found, and the two are reunited. But Henry's family misses the cat.

In one week the shabby cat had become Mudge's mother. It washed Mudge all the time. It washed Mudge's ears. It washed Mudge's eyes. It even washed Mudge's dirty feet.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed rereading this Henry and Mudge book. It was my first book to read in the series and it still remains my favorite--at least so far.

Have you read the Henry and Mudge series? Do you have a favorite title? 

© 2019 Becky Laney of Young Readers

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