Pup and Hound in Trouble

Martha Lamon is a freelance writer and researcher based in Huntsville,
Ontario.

These simple, charming stories by Susan Hood with illustrations by Linda
Hendry are part of the Pup and Hound series. In Level 1 of the Kids Can
Read series, they are aimed at children who are just beginning to read.
With straightforward rhyming text and amusing stories, they are
excellent choices for young readers.

Pup and Hound live together in a farmhouse. In Pup and Hound Stay Up
Late, Pup sneaks off one night to play with a friend and then sleeps
through the following day. Hound can’t understand Pup’s need to
sleep, so he stays awake the next night and follows Pup out. Hound ends
up playing with Pup and discovers the identity of his friend—a
nocturnal opossum. The story closes with the other farm animals trying
to understand why Pup and Hound sleep through the following day.

In Pup and Hound in Trouble, Hound races after Pup trying to protect
him as he falls in a pigsty, almost gets kicked by a horse, needs
rescuing when he chases a frog into a muddy pond, gets chased by a
goose, and finally upsets the grain and feedbags in the barn. While all
the animals are delighted to have an unexpected afternoon treat, the
farmer is not.

In hardcover with sturdy pages and pleasing, colourful illustrations,
these books are well suited to youngsters learning to read. Pup’s
misbehaviour adds an element of tension appropriate for this age group.
Recommended.