Henry and Mudge Take a Sick Day or Two

Being sick isn't terribly fun, but when you're a kid it comes with a couple of upsides. First off, it's an excuse to miss school, and unless you're a Hermione Granger, we all could use a day off once in a while. Plus, you get extra attention, a parent at your beck and call if they're not both working and guaranteed special treatment later in the day if they are. And if you're lucky enough to have a dog or cat, your pet can keep you company, offering comfort throughout the ordeal.

Henry is lucky enough in Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shivers, the seventh book in the series of easy readers by Cynthia Rylant, author of the Poppleton and Mr. Putter and Tabby books, and illustrated by Sucie Stevenson. And Mudge considers himself lucky too, because when Henry's parents come around to bring Henry popsicles and comic books, they always bring crackers for Mudge.

But one day, Henry wakes up feeling fine and dandy, and he notices that Mudge doesn't look so good. He can't muster the energy to raise his head to drool on Henry's hand. He can barely even manage a feeble thump of the tail. Mudge, who has always been the picture of robust health in the time that Henry's known him, is sick. It's time for a trip to the vet. Mudge doesn't like going to the doctor, and Henry doesn't like taking him. It's hard to tell who is more nervous, the shivering, shedding dog or his worried companion. What if Mudge is really, really sick?

This 45-page book is broken up into three sections: The Sick Day, The Vet and A Big Kiss. Together, Rylant and Stevenson weave a tale that sensitively and humorously deals with the topic of sickness, first in Henry and then in Mudge, helping children to deal with the anxieties of getting sick and of seeing a pet - or any friend, really - sick. Next time your first-grader is down with the sniffly sneezes, Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shivers might just be the perfect complement to that bowl of chicken soup.