Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Talking-dog adventure builds vocabulary, teaches sharing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
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 :
- Illustrator : Karen Barss
- Genre : For Beginning Readers
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Animals , 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, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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