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Summary
Summary
When Helen Finney feeds alphabet soup to her dog Martha, Martha begins to speak. But having a talking dog is not as fun as it seems.
Author Notes
Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for GOOD STONES (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelanceillustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including MARTHA SPEAKS, which was chosen as a NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Book for 1992. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-- Martha, a mutt, begins to speak after her young owner slips her a bowl of alphabet soup. She speaks, and speaks, and speaks, until Helen tells her, ``Sometimes I wish you had never learned to talk.'' Martha is devastated, and her withdrawal is alleviated only when she has the opportunity to save her family from a robbery. The pranks in between, including accepting pizza deliveries and phoning for a huge order of barbecue, add to the loopy, incongruous humor. Casual ink-line-and-watercolor cartoons are punctuated by dialogue balloons. In several places, Martha's hand-printed monologue overruns the pages. For reading aloud, the balloons can be included or omitted without damaging the sense of the story. A comparable tale about an unusual pet is Tomi Ungerer's Crictor (HarperCollins, 1958). Any preschool audience and most independent readers will yelp with laughter at this light, funny entertainment. --Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
With the arrival of Martha, Lassie had best look to her canine laurels. This scintillating story weighs the pros and cons of owning a loquacious pet. Thanks to the apparently magical properties of alphabet soup, unassuming mutt Martha is transformed into the Mr. Ed of the canine world. Unfortunately, the novelty for her human family wears off in a hurry: Martha blabs non-stop and commits numerous gaffes--telling one visitor, ``Mom said that fruitcake you sent wasn't fit for a dog. But I thought it was delicious.'' Meddaugh's ( The Witches' Supermarket ; Tree of Birds ) quirky take on the anthropomorphic pooch proves uproarious. Droll illustrations capture Martha's guileless expressions, her joy at the mastery of speech and her hurt feelings after she's commanded to pipe down. The book may be difficult to read aloud because Martha's not-to-be-missed comments, separate from the main narrative, interrupt the tale's flow. Still, anyone who's ever wondered what their pets are thinking will enjoy this imaginative book, its tactless but lovable main character and its triumphant ending. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
One day Martha the dog eats some alphabet soup and bursts into speech. At first her family is fascinated, but Martha begins to drive the family nearly mad with her incessant, boring talk, not to mention her unfortunate tactlessness. Good-natured and amusing, with cheerful illustrations of the delightfully stocky Martha and her amazed family. From HORN BOOK 1992, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Ages 4-8. When Helen feeds her dog alphabet soup, the letters gravitate to Martha's brain instead of her stomach. Suddenly, Martha can talk. She answers all the questions her owners have wondered about for years, such as "Why don't you come when we call?" "You people are always so bossy. COME! SIT! STAY! You never say please." They enjoy using her ability to surprise the neighbors and the pizza delivery man, but once Martha turns on the tap, there's no turning it off. She talks incessantly, alternately boring her owners to distraction with her chatter, infuriating them by using the telephone to order cases of meat, and alarming them by making dangerously tactless remarks to hefty strangers. Kids, who know what it's like to get in trouble for telling the truth, will sympathize with Martha in the family confrontation that follows, and they'll find her eventual vindication all the sweeter for her suffering. Bright with watercolor washes, the cartoonlike ink drawings ensure the book's immediate appeal; Martha's ballooned babblings are just as funny in the fourth reading as the first. A hysterical tail--er, tale. ~--Carolyn Phelan
