Martha Speaks

By Susan Meddaugh

When Helen Finney feeds alphabet soup to her dog, Martha, it goes straight up to her brain, and Martha begins to speak! The basis for the Emmy-nominated PBS series.

Having a talking dog is a lot of fun--unless your dog never stops talking! When chatty Martha gives her family the silent treatment they're relieved at first, but then they get worried. Will Martha ever speak again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Nov 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9780547422312

Susan Meddaugh

Susan Meddaugh worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director before striking out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including Martha Speaks, which was chosen as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book for 1992. Her Martha Speaks book series was adapted into an award-winning PBS Kids TV show. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts.

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Reviews for Martha Speaks

[little_manb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Martha Speaks is about a dog who gains the power of speech after she ate some alphabet soup. The alphabet ended up going to her brain instead of her stomach. Martha then goes on this series of adventures with her friends and family. Class: Martha speaks, is a great book to teach young readers vocabulary.Review: What I love is that each book has a its own theme that is presented in the beginning. Though it not told one has to pick up the key words.Age: Primary- Intermediate.

[parejess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book made me smile, and I think it definitely make children smile, too. Martha eats alphabet soup and suddenly she can talk. Martha uses her humanistic abilities to save the family from some burglars, and she is the hero. It is a silly story, for everyone knows that dogs can't talk, but it has a happy, feel-good ending. After all, dog is man's best friend, and so everyone wants to see Martha shine.Though it is not quite my style, I thought that the little details and snippets of what Martha says were funny and amusing, and the family's reactions to this annoying talking dog were spot on. Though no one has a talking dog, it is relatable, for everyone knows that person who talks too much, has no filter, and is unbelievably irritating. And this shows that the unbelievably irritating person who talks to much and has no filter can redeem themselves in the end.

[awoodham93 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One day, Helen feeds her dog, Martha, alphabet soup. However, the letters do not go to Martha's stomache; they go to her brain! All of a sudden, Martha can speak, and everyone is amazed by the "talking dog". Martha does not know that there are some things we should not say, and that there are times where we should not talk though. Soon, Martha's family gets very tired of all of Martha's comments, and tell her to shut up. This devestates Martha, and she refuses to speak again, until the day someone breaks into their home. Martha is the only one home, and she quietly calls 911, and gets the robber caught. After this incident, Martha decides she will speak again but that she will learn the appropriate things to say. This is a great way to teach children about speaking manners, and also to simply be kind to others with your words.

[klc400 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is just a fun book for children to read. It is about a dog that eats alphabet soup and starts talking. I feel like children would love this and there are many things a teacher could do with this book. One would be to ask children if they think dogs can really speak. I think it would be interesting the different answers a teacher would probably get. Great book for children and using their imagination.

[sguzick_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One day, Martha the dog is given alphabet soup to eat and is suddenly able to speak! At first, Martha’s family is thrilled to have a talking dog. Soon, however, they realize that Martha never stops talking and she is starting to get them in trouble by spilling their secrets. Will her family continue to give her the alphabet soup and or will they stop so she can no longer talk? The pages of this humorous picture book are dominated mainly by watercolor images with pastel greens, blues, pinks, and purples. The colors get darker when the story takes place during nighttime hours. The story is narrated by black text outside the illustrations, but when a character talks, the text appears in a thought bubble near the character’s picture. This allows the reader to better visualize the dialogue that is taking place. It also provides a different experience than many picture books where the text and the images are separated. This book is recommended for young children, especially those who dream of being able to talk to their beloved pets.

[allizabeth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Description: When Helen feeds alphabet soup to her dog, Martha, the letters go into her brain instead of her tummy! So instead of a "bark" or a "woof", Martha speaks words; but having a talking dog is not what Helen's family expects... Review: Martha Speaks is definitely a classic children's book, its popularity rivaling that of Clifford the Big Red Dog and Thomas the Train. Children and adults are pulled in by Susan Meddaugh's creative story-line and adorable water-color illustrations; Martha's world comes to life - especially when listening to the included audio CD. I love the message that the book offers to children - communication is important, but you need to learn how/ where to use it - a great lesson for children of all ages, particularly first and second graders. I know that elementary schools in my area use this book, as well as the rest of the Martha series, and I see how much kids enjoy it, especially my younger nephews. Martha Speaks is full of great vocabulary, fun illustrations and narration, and is highly recommended!Rating: On the Run (4/5)*** I received this book from the author (Houghton Mifflin Company) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[jill5barrington · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Martha is a dog who acquires the ability to talk. Her family begins to regret her new ability to talk because Martha talks a lot; however, they later learn to appreciate Martha's new ability.

[kidlit9 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Problems arise when Martha, the family dog, learns to speak after eating alphabet soup.