Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea

Mr. Putter and Tabby is the name of a charming series for beginning readers that tell of the adventures of Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby. Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea is the first book of the series, and tells how Mr. Putter found the old cat in a shelter and brought her home. The two old friends are perfectly suited to one another.

PERSONAL CONNECTION: I would recommend this book to any young child (or anyone, really) who would love to read about a truly special connection with a pet.

Curriculum: Mr. Putter and Tabby books are excellent read alouds for primary grade children just for the pleasure of them (AASL Standard for the 21st Century Learner: 4.1.1 Read, view, and listen for pleasure and personal growth). The simple, humorous storylines are great texts for discussing elements of writing with young children. After the read aloud, students can think aloud and brainstorm the important points about the story's beginning, middle,and end.

Rylant, C. & Howard, A. (1994). Mr. Putter and Tabby pour the tea. San Diego: Harcourt Brace.

What a lovely story. Every child has an older bachelor neighbor living alone with a garden. Rylant and Howard present a nice tale of an older tabby adopted by said bachelor from the shelter, and they enjoy their lives together. A quiet domestic story, and definitely charming for cat-lovers. ( )