Martha Speaks (by Susan Meddaugh)

Most parents can hardly wait for their children to speak their first words. When kids start stringing sentence after sentence together, though, parents often long for a minute or two of quiet, especially when what is said is not exactly appropriate for the moment. Amazingly, that is exactly what happens with Martha. When she is accidentally fed a bowl of alphabet soup, this floppy, friendly family dog magically begins to speak. What is exciting at first becomes almost too much, and does get Martha, and her family, into some rather embarrassing situations.

Though the basic premise here is rather unbelievable, the story is clever, Martha is lovable, and the emotions conveyed will feel all too real to most readers. How many times have most of us said something we wish we hadn't, or hurt someone's feelings without thinking when we blurted out the wrong word or two? Martha's story covers it all. It's not only the tale of a rather ordinary dog with amazing abilities, but more importantly one of learning the importance of saying the right thing at the right time, whether the speaker is canine or human. Kids who like talking animals will love this book, and they will relate to Martha as well as to the kids in the family. They will also enjoy the other Martha books and the PBS program based on Martha's adventures.

Author: Susan Meddaugh
Illustrator: Susan Meddaugh
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Children's Books
Publication date: March 27, 1995
Number of pages: 32
Paperback price: $6.99
Read Aloud: 4
Read Alone: 7