Henry and Mudge Have Fun With Their Food

I worked at a calendar kiosk over the winter, and one of the most amusing calendars we had encouraged the buyers, through a series of vivid photographs of fruits and vegetables molded into adorable creatures, to play with their food. In Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch, the twenty-fourth book in the easy-to-read series about an only child and his beloved dog, Mother's Day provides the perfect excuse for Henry and his dad to get creative with their cuisine, and they don't even need a calendar to guide them.

Henry's dad is a funny fellow, probably my favorite of the supporting characters in the world of this young boy, so it's little surprise that he would come up with such an amusing way to celebrate his wife's special day. It's a family tradition. Every May, he and Henry go to the grocery store armed with a vision of the artwork they want to create using only edible materials. It's a joint project. Even slobbery Mudge is in on the fun, since the local grocer is an affable relative who doesn't have any problem at all with a lug of a dog wandering down his food-filled aisles. Much as I love dogs, the grocery store doesn't seem like a very good place for a canine, unless we're talking about intensively trained guide dogs. I know for sure if it were my dog, there would be food tumbling from the shelves half-eaten, and she'd be mowing down every customer in sight with an exuberant greeting. But Mudge is on her best behavior, and sabotaging this very special shopping trip doesn't seem to be on his agenda.

Cynthia Rylant, who also authored the Poppleton and Mr. Putter and Tabby series, brings plenty of humor to her short sentences. I especially like the way we get a peek into Mudge's head, such as when Henry's dad announces his intent to make a pineapple sofa. "Mudge wagged and wagged and wagged. 'Juicy' and 'Crunchy' and 'Sofa' were some of his favorite words!" Carolyn Bracken, drawing in the style of original illustrator Sucie Stevenson, has several giggle-inducing pictures of re-structured food, my favorite of which is a depiction of a past Mother's Day offering: a sweet potato made to look like a shoe.

Over the course of 35 pages and three sections - Mother's Day, Shopping and Yum! - Henry and his father come up with a marvelous surprise for Mother's Day, with just a little help from Mudge. Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch is great because it encourages both generosity and creativity, and children reading may just be inspired to create some funny food of their own.