It’ll help if you and/or your kids have or have had a memorable grandpa and/or if you and/or your kids have or have had a meaningful relationship with a feline.
If one or more of those scenarios are true then you and your kids are going to fall right in love with the Mr. Putter and Tabby book series by Caldecott and Newbery winner Cynthia Rylant (Henry & Mudge).
There are about 20 books in the decades-old series and each of them (we’ve read all but one at this point, so assuming that one doesn’t suck…) are lovely, well-paced, humorous, and stand as a tribute to older folk and to older cats who also are known to enjoy a good long nap in the sunshine.
In each and every book, there exists a beautiful portrayal of the aging process and a playful look at the stick-in-the-mud ways of those who, over the course of many a year, have developed a comfortable routine. But never is Rylant judgmental or condescending in her approach to storytelling in this series. The existence of a cat, a housemate Mr. Putter never knew he needed but is so very grateful for finding (Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea
Dog people, fear not: Mrs. Teaberry’s housemate is a dog, “a good dog” named Zeke. He is the cause of much fun throughout the series.
There isn’t a chapter book series for early readers that can match the delightful mix of grace and hilarity offered in the Mr. Putter and Tabby books. I cannot recommend these enough. I’ve put together a handy collection of our top 10 Mr. Putter & Tabby books for easy perusing on Amazon below. See how helpful I am.
