Product Description

Uh-oh-it's time for Sunday dinner at Aunt Frieda's. That means one thing-an evening with mean old cat Purlina. But the pets' tussle over a Turkey Tidbit leads to a wild romp through the house no one will soon forget!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #323275 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-31
• Released on: 2005-05-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2–The beloved McDuff is back, this time for a wacky confrontation with an ugly and mean-spirited cat named Purlina. Sunday dinner with Aunt Frieda and Uncle Nate should be a fun time for the pup and his humans. However, when the baby drops a Turkey Tidbit, the whole thing turns into one big fiasco with fur, claws, and family members flying all over the place. Peace is restored, but then the child drops another Tidbit, saying, "Again!" Where richly colored and detailed scenes of a dreamy retro town in previous volumes delighted children, the cartoon, rough-draftlike pictures here fall flat. The original art showed every hair on McDuff's head, making the lovable Westie real enough to pat. Libraries would do better to purchase new copies of the earlier books.–Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
PreS. The cute West Highland terrier McDuff is back. This time he has accompanied his owners on a visit to Aunt Frieda for an unexpectedly eventful Sunday dinner. McDuff loves the baby's turkey tidbits, but so does Frieda's cat, Purlina, who shows more claws than hospitality. When one of the coveted snacks falls from the baby's tray, the ensuing battle results in general havoc. McDuff, though tidbit victorious, ends up in the doghouse, and the mayhem threatens to begin anew when the baby tosses her last tidbit on the floor, uttering one telling word: "Again!" Although the humans aren't always clearly identified in the art, the colorful illustrations capture days gone by with vintage detail and a sense of nostalgia, and Jeffers' varying perspectives and occasional multipanel views put children right in the center of the action. This new story, part of the McDuff Stories series, will have solid appeal for children (and adults) who delight in cute pooches and in dog stories in general. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

McDuff's Wild Romp
A little disappointed, as I don't think it's of the same quality as the other McDuff books. Still fun read for kids, however!

4 1/2 Great Story--"New Design" Illustrations Somewhat Disappointing
Once again, Rosemary Wells and illustrator Susan Jeffers take us back to a lovingly recreated New England town of the late 1940's or early 50's. The men wear argyle, bow-ties, and suspenders (no, it's not the go-go 1990's), and the women wear lace, big white collars, and flowered print dresses. They drive big automobiles past neatly shuttered second-story windows, sit on rolled-arm sofas, and have niceties like candy dishes.

The book begins with the adorable canine McDuff finding a Turkey Tidbit under the baby's swing. It's a somewhat confusing opening, as the context is not clear. On the next page, however, the plots unfolds: Fred and Lucy are taking McDuff and the baby to Aunt Frieda's house for Sunday dinner (!). When the baby drops a second Turkey Tidbit under the dinner table (a result of a chain reaction begun when Aunt Frieda's cat, Purlina, hisses at McDuff), McDuff and his inhospitable feline host begin a slow, secretive race to the Tidbit.

"They slunk toward the Turkey Tidbit while the family ate their crab cakes... Just as the family was finishing the salad, McDuff and Purlina reached the Turkey Tidbit...There was a hullaballoo right under the dining room table. Fred jumped to his feet and knocked over the chair..."

As the two animals wrestle for the turkey, lamps, vases, tables, and even the curtains are knocked over! Despite all the work, the dream family of the era pretty much takes it in stride: "'Whatever could have happened to make a quiet, gentle dog and cat behave like wild tigers and bears?' asked Uncle Nate". While the adults appear somewhat naive, the baby isn't. In a clever last scene, the baby "took the last of the Turkey Tidbits and threw it on the floor.." She looks down on McDuff and Purlina eying the treat, and says with a smile: "Again!"

The knock against the newer McDuff books is that the illlustrations are less detailed, and perhaps not as rich-looking. I agree, especially in the pictures of the two animals. In earlier books, you felt like you could practically touch the detailed, textured fur. These newer books have a flatter, more modern feeling that's seems incompatible with the 1940's-50's touches, and is simply not as engaging. Still, there's still enough traditional authenticity in words and pictures for adult readers, and kids will love the action and humor.

I'd still recommend these newer books, but the earlier books realize more completely the enormous appeal of McDuff.

Disappointing
I was so excited to see another title in the McDuff series, a beloved set of books in our house. Unfortunately, Rosemary Wells has not stayed with her original illustrator. One look at the pictures and I didn't even want to buy this book. It's too bad. We'll stick with the 2 sets of the rest of the McDuff books.