Don't Read This Henry and Mudge Adventure on an Empty Stomach

Never write a review of a book involving food on an empty stomach. So says Erin after innocently turning to the first page of Henry and Mudge and the Wild Goose Chase, the twenty-third book in the Ready-to-Read series by Cynthia Rylant. This book, which is illustrated by Carolyn Bracken in the style of Sucie Stevenson, who collaborated with Rylant on most of the books in the series, is 35 pages long and divided into three sections: Farm Fresh, Welcome! and The Chase.

It's the Farm Fresh that really got to me, when I opened to the first story to find Henry and his family eating breakfast and Henry's mom mentioning how she would like some farm-fresh eggs, blueberries and corn on the cob while Henry daydreams about all that glorious food, offering an increasing number of "yum"s, and Mudge wags his tail harder and harder, since "yum" is always a word worth wagging for. The only unappetizing thing about this scene is the coffee in the mug Henry's dad is holding. It looks fine the first time we see it, but the second time we see it mid-splatter, and it doesn't appear to be liquid. The stuff seems to be congealed goo. Or Bracken just isn't good at depicting splashing liquids. But she makes up for it with all of those golden-yolked eggs, juicy blueberries and ears of ripe corn. Gulp. Excuse me while I go raid the kitchen...

The food barrage continues when we get to the farm, though we're spared having to stare for long, since Henry and Mudge are given leave to run wild on the farm grounds, where they meet a wide variety of equally free-range animals. While they were still on the road, Henry's dad had to stop to let a white duck and her fuzzy yellow ducklings cross, and Mudge had to content himself with licking Henry instead of the adorable birds. But here he can lick whoever he pleases, and his friendly disposition extends to the goats (even the one that tries to eat Henry's shirt), the sheep, the cows, the cats and the chickens (even the ones that peck Mudge's head). But there is one member of this menagerie he does not like, and that is the extremely ornery goose that honks at them and chases them back toward the farm. Does a big drooly dog have any recourse in such a situation?

One nice thing about this book is the way it includes such a wide range of plant and animal life. Young readers can have fun pointing out the different fruits and vegetables at the farm stand and identify the animals Henry and Mudge meet as they wander around the farm. From mouth-watering first page to funny conclusion, Henry and Mudge and the Wild Goose Chase is a book worth chasing down.