Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Mr. Putter and Tabby Toot the Horn

Mr. Putter and Tabby Toot The Horn. (Mr. Putter & Tabby #7) Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Arthur Howard. 1998. 44 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, were neighbors to Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog, Zeke. Mrs. Teaberry and Mr. Putter had a lot in common. They both liked bingo. They both liked free samples. They both liked rain. And they both liked music.

Premise/plot: One day Mrs. Teaberry decides that they both need to join a band. Her reasoning is simple: "Old people can do anything they want." He tries to get out of it by countering with this argument: "Can they say they can't play an instrument?!" She shuts him down--fast. Try, he must. This chapter book is about them both trying something new.

My thoughts: I loved this one. It was a super-fun addition to the series. Mr. Putter is NOT a good tooter. And that is okay. He tried--and that is something worth celebrating with a treat. The writing continues to delight me. Here is one of my favorite paragraphs:
Mrs. Teaberry liked country music the best. She liked the broken hearts. She liked the big silver boots and the tall hair. Mr. Putter liked opera. He also liked broken hearts. And he liked the big round heroes and the violins. Some days Mrs. Teaberry would play her country music very loud for Mr. Putter to hear. Some days Mr. Putter would play his opera very loud for Mrs. Teaberry to hear. They liked sharing. 
© 2018 Becky Laney of Young Readers

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