Martha Speaks: Toy Trouble
By Tracy Moore,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Talking-dog adventure builds vocabulary, teaches sharing.
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What's the Story?
Dogs Skits and Martha are playing with a toy puppet, and neither of them wants to share. Since there's only one puppet, how can owners T.D. and Helen teach their pets to work together? Will they learn to call a truce or will fighting ruin their play date?
Is It Any Good?
MARTHA SPEAKS: TOY TROUBLE is a great introduction to Martha for beginning readers ready for problem-solving stories. Readers can puzzle over how to teach the dogs to play nice and take turns, share in Helen's frustration when they won't listen, and empathize with her sense of accomplishment as she finds a workable solution. The simple, evocative storyline, illustrated with cartoon-style drawings, keeps an easy, engaging pace for the beginner.
Kids who like dogs and the Martha series will find a relatable tale here, and parents can appreciate the new concepts, positive messages, and problem-solving.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sharing. Why is sharing important? Is it hard or easy for you to share? Why? What can you do to get better at sharing?
Why are kids' books about dogs so popular? What's fun about dog stories?
Can pets learn to share? Have you ever taught an animal to share? What was it like?
Book Details
- Author: Susan Meddaugh
- Illustrator: Karen Barss
- Genre: For Beginning Readers
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Book Characters, Brothers and Sisters, Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Publication date: July 19, 2010
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 24
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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