Mr. Putter & Tabby Clear the Decks

By Cynthia Rylant and Arthur Howard

All aboard for an eventful boat ride in this book by a Newbery Medal winner: “Adorable characters [and] delightful pictures.”—School Library Journal
 
Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, are itchy. Not because of fleas, but because it’s hot, they’re bored, and they’re out of orangesicles. So when their neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, suggests a sightseeing cruise, they’re excited about an adventure. The boat makes them feel free! Plus they get orangesicles! But when it's time to go home, there's a little problem with Mrs. Teaberry’s good dog, Zeke… 
 
The nineteenth Mr. Putter & Tabby book has all the sly, sweet humor that has made the series so popular. Cynthia Rylant's perfect ear for rhythm and Arthur Howard's comical illustrations continue to bring to life the quartet of characters kids know and love.
 
Praise for the series:
 
“Besides being wonderful fun, this is a great way to introduce new readers to the chapter-book format.”—Booklist

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9780547505503

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

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Reviews for Mr. Putter & Tabby Clear the Decks

[beckiezimmerman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was too adorable and funny! It was a fiction beginner’s chapter book for children from the 1st-5th grade about an old man, Mr. Putter and his cat, Tabby, going on an adventure with their crazy neighbor. Their neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, and her dog, Zeke, were very adventurous. It was a hot summer day, and Mrs. Teaberry planned a sightseeing trip on a boat. They all went on the boat together and had a blast, Zeke even refused to leave the boat he was having so much fun! This was a fun book I definitely would not mind having in my class. It had a strong central message that taking risks and being a little adventurous can make great memories. In the beginning, Mr. Putter was a little apprehensive, “Mr. Putter was glad. Sort of glad. Mrs. Teaberry’s ideas sometimes took him to strange places,” but in the end he ended up having a great day doing something different.

[csteve13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Mr. Putter & Tabby Clear the Decks is a story about an old man who lives with his cat. It is sumer time and they are bored and too hot to go outside. Mr. Putter envys his neighbor and her dog who are full of adventure. Mr. Putter decides to call her and ask for some ideas for himself and Tabby to do. His neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry had a great adventure for them to all go on! She took them on a sightseeing boat. On the boat, Mr. Putter and Tabby had the best time! When the day was over, Mrs. Teaberry's dog was not ready to leave the boat. He bit onto a mast and would not let go. Finally, the captain of the boat sat down to talk to the dog about loving the water. This helped the dog get off the boat and realize what a fun day they had! Argument: I thought this book was a strong example of a beginning to read chapter book. The content seems like something that someone who is just getting into chapter books would be able to handle. The main thing I think children would take out of this story is about being bored and how exciting adventures can be. Many times, children are bored and just sit around instead of finding ways to entertain themselves. Other times, children are scared of trying new things. This book is a great example of how trying something new and going on an adventure can be exciting. Mr. Putter didn't think he was going to have fun on the adventure and he ended up loving it, which is a lesson that can transfer over to young children as well.

[kweber8 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby were incredibly bored one sunny afternoon. They sat around their home wondering what to do until Mr. Putter decided to call his adventurous neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke. Mrs. Teaberry was so excited to help Mr. Putter and Tabby have fun, so she planned a special trip to go on a sightseeing boat. While on the boat everyone had a marvelous time, especially Zeke. At the end of the trip everyone was so tired and so exhausted from the magnificent day they had all shared with each other. Review: What a cute beginners chapter book! I would not mind having this book in my classroom and I think it would be a wonderful option for a read aloud. The central message of this book is definitely clear and it is that taking risks can lead to amazing memories. In the book Mr. Putter and Tabby called their neighbor Mrs. Teaberry, but after he called her Mr. Putter seemed hesitant. After making the phone call Mr. Putter seemed "...glad. Sort of glad. Mrs. Teaberry's ideas sometimes took him to strange places" (p. 11). Mr. Putter seemed to be unsure of what he was getting himself into, but by the end of the story he felt free and told Mrs. Teaberry that she was a genius.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The sightseeing boat was named The Olden Days.
Mr. Putter liked it right away
because he and Tabby were both old.
They liked being old.
Mr. Putter was glad the boat was not named
The Young and Zippy Days.
Those were long behind him."

For me - perfect!
For the right children, also fun."

[shelf3employed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is not my favorite in the series, but Mr. Putter and Tabby are still a sweet duo, and his delightfully fun neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry is hard to resist. (The illustration of her in scuba gear is too funny!) In this adventure, they take a sightseeing cruise to escape summer doldrums.