One winter, when Mr. Putter finds his routine "a little slow," he recalls his boyhood pleasures and decides to go sledding. Soon he and his cat, Tabby, along with Mrs. Teaberry and her dog, Zeke, are speeding downhill on two sleds. Zeke loves the ride. Tabby does not. Mrs. Teaberry shouts, "COWABUNGA!" Mr. Putter just holds on. Nerves jangled, Tabby climbs a tree at the bottom of the slope, but Mr. Putter coaxes her down with promises of muffins and cream. Back at home, warm and comfortable again, they fall asleep. Beginning readers like the relatively simple vocabulary and wide-spaced lines of text in the Mr. Putter and Tabby series, but it's the gentle humor; the vibrant pencil, watercolor, and gouache illustrations; and the characters' personalities that bring kids back for more. Written and illustrated with clarity, energy, and finesse.

Who would have thought that a balding white homebody and his orange cat could become beloved stars of a long-running series for first- and second-graders? In the 25th installment of the ongoing saga of Mr. Putter and Tabby, Mr. Putter waxes nostalgic about the joys of sledding. Then ever ready and daring neighbor Mrs. Teaberry, also white, produces sleds. The adventurers take off—down the hill like a rocket after her bulldog, Zeke, and his cat, Tabby, who also share a sled. The expressions of horror on Tabby's face are priceless. The après-sledding comfort of a warm bath, muffins and cream, and a cozy chair are palpable. Rylant proves once again that it is possible to turn an elegant phrase, even with a limited word list. "The next thing Mr. Putter knew, / he had no sled, / no cat, / and no fun. / Fun was already halfway down the slope." The arrangement of the simple, declarative text, with repeated words lined up, helps beginning readers decode and read fluently. Howard's pencil, watercolor, and gouache illustrations both reflect the text and provide contextual cues as well as adding to the subtle humor. Simple words can still surprise with adventure and humor. Cowabunga! (Early reader. 6-9)

PreS-Gr 2 Mr. Putter and Tabby are finding winter a bit slow, so they decide to relive the childhood fun of going sledding. Calling the adventurous Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke guarantees that they are hitting the slopes in no time at all, much to Tabby's twitching discomfort. The exciting race downhill is bookended by the quieter repose of Mr. Putter and Tabby at home, having a warm bath and a nap. A comforting story to curl up with on a chilly winter day, this easy reader features the large font, simple sentences, and skillful use of white space for which the series is well known. The pencil, watercolor, and goache illustrations demonstrate the meaning of newly introduced vocabulary words and expressively convey the feelings of each character. VERDICT Rylant and Howard have mastered the balance between text and illustration for beginning readers, and this addition to the series is recommended for most collections. Amanda Foulk, Sacramento Public Library