Product Description

After chasing a fat rabbit all over the neighborhood, McDuff realizes that he doesn’t know the way home! It’ll take a keen nose—and a new friend—to help him find his way back to Fred and Lucy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #379685 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-01
• Released on: 2006-04-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
PreS. McDuff, an all-too-curious Yorkshire terrier, finds himself far from home when a rabbit in the next yard proves to be too much temptation and he takes off after it. The rabbit outwits him, though, and the small dog suddenly realizes that he's lost. Help comes in the form of a lively senior citizen who finds the wayward pup and takes him home (with directions from McDuff) on her motorcycle. Wells is a master at the delicate art of story, and Jeffers's realistic illustrations are wonderfully enticing. They successfully depict the curiosity that got McDuff into trouble in the first place, the penitent look when the elderly woman finds him, and the excitement of reunion. Children will revel in this second story about this endearing pup.?Christy Norris, Valley Cottage Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 3-5. The white terrier who found a home with Fred and Lucy in McDuff Moves In gets lost again when he sees a rabbit in the neighbor's yard and chases him "over hills and streets and flower beds" and into Mrs. Higgins' garden. The matronly Mrs. Higgins puts him in the sidecar of her red motorcycle and is driving him into town, when McDuff recognizes the smells, the sounds, and the sight of home. All four characters enjoy a splendid picnic together. Like the first book, this one features a 1930s period setting, an appealing little dog, and a consistent and believable portrayal of the canine point of view. The double-page spreads showing multiple images, such as the one in which McDuff chases the rabbit, raises questions of whether young children will understand that this is one pair of animals shown many times, rather than many dogs and rabbits chasing one another. Still, the bold shapes and colors of the artwork are one of the book's main drawing points. A mildly quirky picture book, just right for little dog lovers. Carolyn Phelan

Customer Reviews

A Dog's Dog!
(Note: This review refers to the 1997 hardcover edition written by Ms. Wells and illustrated by Ms. Jeffers.)

The McDuff series lovingly recreates a small New England town of the late 1940''s or early `50's. The frontispiece shows a neighborhood of gables two and three-story house, some with curved roofs, masonry, and picket fences, all with tall chimneys nearly touching the treetops. It's immediately welcoming.

When we meet a cute (!), big-eyed, white terrier-like dog, our hearts are completely won over. McDuff is a dog's dog: He's got a nose for food, a watchful eye, and he's full of terrier energy. However, when the kitchen window is closed one day, he discovers he can't bask on his Adirondack chair and savor the usual "snappy scent of Fred's frying sausages, the velvety smell of Lucy's vanilla rice pudding." (In a book set in the post-war era, I wonder if this is a thinly veiled reference to Fred Mertz and Lucille Ricardo...).

On a day without those distractions, McDuff notices a large brown rabbit, and he chases it, losing his collar, and finally collapsing in a cozy vegetable patch--just the spot for a snooze. The garden owner heads for the police station with the lost dog in her motorcycle sidecar--another wonderful touch--but McDuff's "woofs" guide them back to his home instead. Here, Fred and Lucy serve a lavish 1950's lunch: Period dishes piled high with apple pie, perhaps a dozen thick sandwiches, an entire ham, and various cheeses and dessert. McDuff, looking very content, sits in his Adirondack, about to eat a favorite treat, "a small dish of vanilla rice pudding with a sausage slice on top." Veteran writer Rosemary Wells (the "Max and Ruby" series) keeps things moving, and the story is neither too dense nor too blandly simple. Some writers seem to slap on contrived "funny" endings but Welles blends an unforced comic twist with an integrated, reassuring conclusion.

Caldecott Honor winner Susan Jeffries' great sense of period style adds to the series' appeal. The colors are smooth and saturated, the contours rounded and inviting. The book exudes welcoming, friendly warmth. At one point, Jeffries takes chances with her youngest audience in a 2-page spread that shows a curving trail of repeated Cuffs and the rabbit meant to show the zigzagging trail of their chase. This may confuse some small fry, but it's a delightfully energetic scene, enjoyable on its own (and somewhat older kids will have little difficulty understanding an adult's explanation). This is a terrific book, with a masterful blend of active and soothing scenes to delight child and adult, both day and night.

A terrific sequel to McDuff Moves In
Another marvelous book by Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers. McDuff's adventures chasing a bunny rabbit are wonderfully captured in the illustrations. The drawings of the Westie McDuff are so realistic. A book for all children and any adults who love these special dogs.

Ashley LOVED this Rosemary Wells book!
My name is Ashley. My class has been reading a lot of books by Rosemary Wells and McDUFF COMES HOME is my favorite book. I loved the part in the book when McDuff went over the fence and saw a rabbit. It was so cute!