Mr Putter and Tabby Row the Boat

From the Publisher
It is HOT. Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, are sweating. Their neighbors Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog, Zeke, are sweating, too. Looks like the perfect day for a trip to the big pond!

Children’s Literature
Mr. Putter and Tabby are hot as there seems to be no escape from the weather, but then Mr. Putter decides a trip to the lake might be quite refreshing. He invites his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke. They have a great time rowing to a shady spot and picnicking. But after a walk back home, they are just as hot as before. Mrs. Teaberry comes up with a cool, wet surprise. It’s a delightful easy-to-read story that presents grandparent-aged characters in a positive light, having lots of fun.

School Library Journal
Gr 1-3Those rumpled old friends are back in two new books. In Fly the Plane, Mr. Putter, who still loves toys, realizes his dream of flight with the acquisition of a radio-controlled plane. Tabby is uncomfortable around this noisy new toy but hides her feelings when she sees how happy it makes him. Mr. Putter eventually decides to give his beloved possession to an eager child. Rylant tells her story with clear yet lyrical prose, but the tale itself is a slight one, burdened with too much sentiment and not enough humor. Row the Boat is much better and typical of the series’s deft mix of gentle humor and old-fashioned sentiment. On a hot summer day, the two friends are wondering how to escape the sweltering heat. Mr. Putter decides to head for the pond and invites along their neighbors, Mrs. Teaberry and her dog, Zeke. They pack a picnic lunch, rent a rowboat, and end up having a wonderful time. When the walk home leaves them just as hot as before, Mrs. Teaberry knows just the trick to cool them down. This is vintage Mr. Putter and Tabby: simple escapades enlivened by the conviviality of their warm friendship. Howard’s colorful cartoons capture all of the fun and the expressions on the faces of the animals and the humans.Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CA

Kirkus Reviews
A great little entry in Rylant and Howard’s easy-to-read series (Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears, 1995, etc.), about the adventures of a charming elderly man and his lovably skittish cat, shown in wonderfully expressive illustrations.

Mr. Putter and Tabby are too old to be so hot: They sweat on the porch, in the kitchen, and under the oak tree, and finally decide to go down to the big pond to cool off. They invite Mrs. Teaberry and her dog, Zeke, and the rest of the afternoon is filled with simple summer pleasures: rowing, picnicking, soaking toes in the cool water, watching Tabby and Zeke find their own amusements. Of course, when it is time to go home, they get hot and sweaty again, but Mrs. Teaberry finds a delightful, if fleeting, solution to that. Full of down-to-earth touches as well as whimsical ones-a blue jay tries to peck the artificial grapes on Mrs. Teaberry’s hat, Mr. Putter’s reminisces about the county worm race he won with an entrant named Jack-this is a comfortable and nifty addition to the series.