School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--In this latest installment about a boy and his oversized pup, Henry empties his piggy bank and buys a spy kit. He wears the dark glasses himself and puts the hat on Mudge. While spying around the neighborhood, they discover a paper with a coded message near some trash cans. Henry takes it home, thinks about it for a bit, decodes it, and then sends a return message. After several exchanges, Henry and Mudge meet the other spy who also has a dog in disguise. Calling themselves "Crackers" for being good at cracking codes, the boys form a club and carry real crackers in their pockets for ID. Rylant tells the story in a concise format while maintaining a sense of humor and flow of words. The combination of the text and Stevenson's colorful, expressive illustrations makes this book more than just a beginning reader--preschoolers will welcome this duo into storyhour programs.-Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY

Horn Book (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 1998)

Spy fans Henry and his dog Mudge buy a sleuthing kit, then snoop around town in search of adventure. What they find is a coded message that leads them to another spy enthusiast and his mutt. The appealing subject matter and familiar characters are enlivened, as always, by Stevenson's cheery illustrations.

Kirkus Reviews

In this hearty episode of the Henry and Mudge Ready-to-Read saga from Rylant (Henry and Mudge and the Wild Wind, 1993, etc.), the boy and his canine best friend become spies. Henry buys a spy kit complete with secret codes, spy glasses, and a magnifying glass. Mudge gets to wear the fedora. With the admonishment ``not to look like you're spying, Mudge'' they stumble over a coded message. When the very able Henry cracks the cipher, it turns out to be from another boy with a kit—and a dog—like his. The two boys form a club, the Crackers, as a tribute to their code- breaking talents, and for the crackers they carry to keep their dogs happy. How Rylant manages to invest both Henry and Mudge with such distinct, disarming personalities in so few words is a minor miracle, but she does, and Stevenson works wonders, too, creating an idyllic neighborhood in which a very safe kind of espionage can transpire. (Picture book. 6-8)"

ALA Booklist (Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 1998)

for reading aloud. Henry and his beloved dog Mudge return in their umpteenth adventure to delight their avid following. This time, the devoted duo are having fun with a new spy kit. While Mudge wears the battered hat (he drooled on the magnifying glass), Henry decodes a secret message that leads to a new friend. Not as humorous as some of the delightful duo's previous adventures, but still fun and spaciously laid out and profusely illustrated to make learning new words like magnifying glass and suspicious more enjoyable. (Reviewed February 1, 1998)