Product Description

It is fall and juicy things are growing in Mr. Putters backyard--apples, tomatoes, and pears. Mr. Putter dreams of all the juicy things he loves to eat, but most of all, he dreams of pear jelly. Theres only one problem--cranky legs keep him from climbing up to pick the pears. His ingenious solution will have young readers cheering him on.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #440356 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-01
• Released on: 2001-01-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 44 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3?In this fourth book about the two seniors who are special friends, Mr. Putter dreams about the many ways he will use his ripe tomatoes, apples?and especially pears. But when he tries to climb the ladder to pick the green edibles, his cranky legs force him to stay on the ground. Remembering his younger days, he makes himself a slingshot and uses fallen apples as ammunition. Unfortunately, he is unable to hit his targets. But what fun to sling those apples and watch them go "...over the tree, over the chimney, over the house." The next day, he and his old cat Tabby feel sorry for themselves until their neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, arrives with her dog and a feast of apple turnovers, pies, jelly, and cider. Mr. Putter then decides what to do about the pears?just wait for them to fall. Rylant's originality continues in this autumnal adventure. She uses repetition to reinforce vocabulary development and word recognition; however, she also uses both simple and compound sentences, dialogue, and expressive language so that the story is neither stilted nor boring. Howard's watercolor illustrations fit the text perfectly, providing humor and warmth.?Mary Ann Bursk, Bucks County Free Library, Levittown, PA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 1^-3. His "cranky legs, cranky knees, cranky feet" prevent Mr. Putter from picking the pears from his tree. Improvising a slingshot from the elastic of underwear, he sets out to knock the pears off his tree by shooting fallen apples at them. His aim is way off, but all ends happily as a neighbor discovers the apples in her yard and brings cider, pies, and jellies to Mr. Putter. The autumnal theme, a deft mix of slapstick and understatement, and a taut but colorful story will attract and satisfy beginning readers. Howard's ink-and-watercolor illustrations, reminiscent of James Stevenson's work, add character and sly humor to this latest Mr. Putter and Tabby adventure. Linda Perkins

Ingram
Dreaming of all the delicious growing things in his garden and most especially anticipating his juicy pears, Mr. Putter is unable to pick the pears because of his ""cranky"" legs and enlists the help of his cranky-tailed cat.

Customer Reviews

Great Series
As an adult I love these stories. They are repetitive and have a rhythm. This is what the kids love about the books. My son loves the part where Mr. Putter's knees are cranky. Instead of using the word old, decrepit, or any other word that may be over the heads of kids; they used cranky. Kids can relate to this word! It is a true story of friendship. This is a funny story. Kids will love making their predictions as to how the book ends. This is the type of book to let them practice with predictions. It is easy enough that a beginner to chapter books would have an easy time with this book. The words are simple and so is the storyline. This is why Cynthia Rylant's books are all terrific! I highly recommend this book!

A Wondeful Autumn Story - Mr. Putter and Tabby Style!
The Mr. Putter and Tabby series are the sort of books that I would have loved to have when I was a beginning reader. I know that I would have read them over and over again to no end, even once they began to fall apart from constant use. That's why I am so glad that Mr. Putter and Tabby are around now while my youngest brother is learning to read. The non-repetitious (words are repeated, but not enough to become explicit), non-rhyming storytelling contained within the books makes them a pleasure to read continually, unlike many other easy-reader books. And in my opinion, the Mr. Putter and Tabby books are a step in front of Ms. Rylant's Henry and Mudge collection, due to the fact that, in their own way, they create an appreciation for the elderly as the reader comes to love Mr. Putter, the aging main character whose only companion is his cat, Tabby.

In Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears, the fourth book in the series, Mr. Putter attempts to pick the pears from the tree in his backyard. The ailments that come with old age try to keep him from accomplishing his task, but Mr. Putter soon comes up with a witty and humorous solution that will have everyone laughing while they continue turning pages to see how it all ends.

Mr. Howard's cartoon-style illustrations greatly enhance this wonderful story, which is written in such a format to be used as either a 3-chapter book for the beginning reader, or a bedtime story that is longer in length. Either way, the Mr. Putter and Tabby books would be a great find for emerging readers' shelves. Like having a kindly old grandpa next door, they only make life richer!

4year old son and I both adore this book...
I wish we lived next door to Mr. Putter! This is such a nice book. The part where Mr. Putter cuts up an old pair of boxer shorts to get elastic to make a slingshot is just silly enough to please a potty-humor-newbie, yet is still tasteful.

My son loved all the descriptions of "juicy things"...apple cider, apple pie, pear jelly, apple turnovers. Every time we read this book, he wants to make a different "juicy thing".

I love the comfortable companionship between Mr. Putter and Tabby, as well as the wonderful drawings. This book makes me want to check out the other Mr. Putter and Tabby books!