McDuff Moves In

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Category
Picture Book
Illustrator
Publisher
Gryphon Press October 2019 (Originally published in 1997(

The Gryphon Press is delighted to bring this classic children’s picture back into print for a new generation of children.

McDuff Moves In has been loved for its heartwarming and lively story and its magical recreation of a simpler era. Readers have commented that they loved reading McDuff’s story to their children, and, in due course, to their grandchildren, reading the book over and over, until, as one reader wrote, the “original copy was worn to shreds.”

“This collaboration by Wells and Jeffers is as sweet, substantial, and comforting as that bowl of rice pudding and will suit the many children who like stories with simple words, clear story lines, and happily-ever-after endings. ” – Booklist

No one wanted the nameless little dog wandering the streets looking unsuccessfully for food and shelter until kindhearted Fred and Lucy, a young couple, take him inside. After they feed him rice pudding and bathe him, they realize that they cannot bear to return him to the pound. Newly adopted, McDuff–named that night for their favorite shortbread biscuit–is last seen happily asleep on his back on a pillow next to Fred and Lucy’s bed.

Wells knows just the right words to describe McDuff's emotions in ways that little readers will identify with and understand. She describes his joy in being accepted with these words: ''No one had ever asked him to come in. Everyone had always told him to go away.''

Jeffers's illustrations brilliantly capture a bygone art deco America in Lucy and Fred’s cozy home, a virtual-reality nostalgia unfaded. Dog lovers everywhere will recognize the very specific details that bring McDuff to life, from the familiar lift of a paw in the rain to the frightened eyes peeking out over the car dashboard.---from the publisher

25 pages             978-0940719422      Ages 3-6

Keywords: dog, pet, animal rescue, belonging, home, 3 year old, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, part of a series

Also in this series: McDuff and the Baby; McDuff and the New Friend; McDuff Comes Home; McDuff Hide and Seek; McDuff Saves the Day; McDuff Goes to School; McDuff's Wild Romp; McDuff's Christmas

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For many of us, just saying the names Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers is enough to have us ordering a copy of the book. But for anyone who is not familiar with that creative duo and their work together on the McDuff books, here is a second chance to enter the world of 1930s America and a little Westie who goes from the back of the dogcatcher's truck to searching for a home. Readers will be anxiously waiting to see if one of the houses along the street will become a forever home - but hissing cats, growling dogs, and staring owls keep him moving from one yard to another. The young couple who take in McDuff surprise him with their welcome. "No one had ever asked him to come in. Everyone had always told him to go away.''
The illustrations are a trip to the past with the vehicles, clothing, and home decor. McDuff, of course, steals the scene each time. Whether he is looking forlornly up at the rain clouds, trotting alongside Lucy on the way to the kitchen, or shaking his coat dry after a "coconut herbal bath," he is irresistibly adorable. The final scene shows all of them asleep, with Lucy holding one of Fred's hands and Fred's other hand reaching down to hold McDuff's paw as he sleeps on a pillow beside the bed.
Back matter includes a special foreword from the author, a recipe for Lucy's Vanilla Rice Pudding, and a page of pet adoption resources.
Highly recommended for primary grade readers. Be prepared to head to the library or bookstore for more McDuff books once you have finished this one.
25 pages                                      978-0940719422                                     Ages 3-7
Recommended by:  Suzanne Collins, Library Media Specialist, Tennessee USA
See more of her recommendations:  https://fveslibrary.blogspot.com/

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