Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover

Written by Cynthia Rylant

Narrated by George Guidall

Henry is invited to a sleepover at his friend Patrick's house. His big, slobbering dog Mudge is invited, too. In fact, all the boys are bringing their dogs. Everyone will stay up late. Best of all, Henry says, there will be popcorn. Mudge gets very excited because popcorn is one of his favorites. When the night comes, the boys and dogs gather in Patrick's attic and have a great time. They play all kinds of games, but nobody can play with the bowling set, because a bulldog keeps stealing the pins. They eat pizza and watch a movie about giant lizards. And there is still lots of popcorn to eat before everybody falls asleep. Newbery Medal winner Cynthia Rylant has sold more than two million copies of her Henry and Mudge adventures, which comprise one of the most beloved beginning reader series of all time. Each story available from Recorded Books is warmly narrated by AudioFile Golden Voice George Guidall. "All libraries will want to add this book to their beginning-reader collections."-School Library Journal

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 22, 2008
• ISBN: 9781436169530

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant is a Newbery medalist and the author of many acclaimed books for young people. She's well known for her popular characters for early readers, including Mr. Putter & Tabby and Henry & Mudge. She lives in the Pacific Northwest. cynthiarylant.com

Reviews for Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have a lot of respect for Henry's mom. In some ways I want to be her, with a big porch & yard & trees, and long dresses and bare feet - but I don't want a huge slobbery dog, thank you.

[meghanchun · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pre-K - First grade level bookThis is a story about a boy named Henry and his big dog named Mudge. Henry and Mudge get invited to a sleepover at their friend Patrick’s house. They are very excited to go.At this party, there are boys and their dogs. They are all hanging out in the attic of Patrick’s house. Everyone played different games then watched a scary movie about monsters while eating pizza. They then had a popcorn eating contest and Henry thought that Mudge was going to win. But a different dog won. The boys made shadows with their flashlights then went to bed. The next morning, Henry and Mudge go home. This is a good story for children to relate to and make connections to their own experiences with having sleepovers. It is also a good book to use when teaching about friendship and companionship.

[megjwal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover by Cynthia RylantIn this easy reader, Henry and Mudge are invited to a sleep over at Patrick’s house! They eat pizza, watch monster movies and eat popcorn. Mudge even gets his own sleeping bag too. Will the boys ever get to sleep?I think this is a great story because kids can really relate to it. I remember having a blast at sleepovers growing up! I would use this story with Pre-K to First graders. I would have the younger students do a Venn diagram comparing Henry and Mudge sleepover with a sleepover they have experienced. I would have the first grade students practice their reading skills and write about their favorite sleepover.

[teacherlibrarian_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge and the big sleepover. (2006). Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. This is a very simple story for very young readers. It tells the story of Henry and his big, nice dog Mudge, going to Henry’s friend Patrick’s house for a sleepover with more of other boys’ friends. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations show that Henry and Patrick are White and they have Black friends and White friends. Many of the boys bring their dogs to the sleepover. They play board games and video games, as well as modified basketball and bowling. They eat popcorn and pizza and watch a monster movie. The dogs have a popcorn-catching contest, which Mudge doesn’t win. He’s all right with not winning, however. In the morning they find that all the dogs end up sleeping in Mudge’s sleeping bag. This is an enjoyable story for young readers. Although it doesn’t address controversial topics or point out the harsh realities some children must live with, it does address the universal theme of friendship, as the boys enjoy a night of games and companionship with each other and their dogs. Many students reading this story will connect it to parties they have attended. The characterizations are not deep, but students will relate to the happiness of the boys as they play and watch a movie together. The illustrator includes both White children and children of color, so the book includes characters of diverse races joining together to have fun.The illustrations add details the text leaves out, such as what the setting looks like and what the children and dogs do at the party.