Henry and Mudge Roam Free Through the Wild West

Last week, my family returned from a trip to San Diego. We hadn't ever been out west together before; my brother and I had never been out west at all. We took a plane, so we didn't see a whole lot of cowboy country, but it certainly was a change of scenery just as impressive as what young Henry experiences in Henry and Mudge and the Tumbling Trip.

This twenty-seventh volume in the series of easy readers by Cynthia Rylant, author of the Poppleton and Mr. Putter and Tabby books, is illustrated by Carolyn Bracken in the style of Sucie Stevenson, who furnished illustrations for most of the books in the series. The story is about 35 pages in length but broken into three sections: Vacation!, Tumbling Tumbleweeds and Home. In the first, Henry learns his family will be taking a trip out to the wild west, and Mudge gets to go along. In the second, he watches the scenery change and discovers how much fun tumbleweeds can be for a boy and a dog, and in the third, he explores a little more of the west with his parents and Mudge before heading for home sweet home, which may not be quite as novel but is every bit as fun.

Because of my recent trip, this book struck a chord with me. Going away is grand; so is coming back. I like Henry and Mudge's creative use of tumbleweeds and the droll observation that everyone out west is taller (thanks to the cowboy boots). Brightly patterned shirts and sombreros suit Henry well, and it's fun to see the family surrounded by cacti, bighorn sheep and cheesy souvenirs. One thing that seems a little off is the fact that Mudge is running around the desert with no leash. It's great that they found a hotel that would cater to their big dog, but I'd be awfully worried about his well-being in such a strange environment. What if he got lost? There is one picture showing Henry holding him on a leash, but in all the others, Mudge is running free.

Henry and Mudge and the Tumbling Trip is a fun there-and-back-again tale. After reading it, kids may just get a hankering to head west, or at least somewhere unfamiliar. Those sorts of trips sure can be fun. As long as their dogs are on leashes.