Help Me, Mr. Mutt!: Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems

by Susan Stevens Crummel, Janet Stevens (Illustrator)

Overview

Responding to disgruntled dogs nationwide, Mr. Mutt, canine counselor, has solutions to the stickiest dilemmas. But Mr. Mutt has his own problem to solve: the cat (a.k.a. The Queen), who has her own idea of who’s in charge. Now Mr. Mutt is the one who needs help—quick! Through letters and newspaper clippings—and with plenty of their trademark humor—Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel give voice to despairing dogs everywhere.   

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781328740540
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/16/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.30(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Susan Stevens Crummel has collaborated with Janet Stevens, her sister, on several picture books, including The Little Red Pen; The Great Fuzz Frenzy; Texas Bluebonnet winners Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! and Help Me, Mr. Mutt!; and the Texas Bluebonnet nominee And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon. A former teacher, she now writes children's books and makes author appearances at schools full-time. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Visit her online at susanscrummel.com.

Janet Stevens is the author and illustrator of many beloved picture books, including Tops & Bottoms, a Caldecott Honor Book. With her sister and coauthor, Susan Stevens Crummel, she created the acclaimed bestsellers The Great Fuzz Frenzy; Help Me, Mr. Mutt!; The Little Red Pen; and more. She is also the illustrator of the Epossumondas books, written by renowned storyteller Coleen Salley. Janet Stevens lives in Colorado. Visit her online at janetstevensbooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

Joining that other epistle-toting dog LaRue (first met in Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School, 2002), self-described "Canine Counselor" Mr. Mutt fires off savvy solutions for correspondents with a string of doggy dilemmas, from enforced diets and silly costumes to humans who'd rather watch TV than play "fetch." Reminding readers (two-legged ones too, perchance) that it's entirely natural for dogs to bark, play and maybe get a little rank, and also that "it's a dog-eat-treat world," Mr. Mutt suggests coping strategies ("If your people get you in the tub, start shaking"), many of which involve some harassment of the local felines. That last draws counterfire from the Counselor's own cat and, ultimately, a brief coup-depicted in the gleefully disorderly watercolors by a view of the chubby writer tied to his own desk chair with real yarn-that muzzles Mr. Mutt until he's rescued by a charging squad of loyal fans. A host of hilarious dog portraits provide further treats. Three licks ("People call it kisses. We call it dessert.") for the Stevens sisters. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews