A Friend in Need! Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup by Cynthia Rylant

Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby lived in an old house with lots of old things. Mr. Putter and Tabby didn't mind old things. They were old, too. Mr. Putter was very attached to his stove, one of the oldest things in the house. He called her Bessie.

Usually when Mr. Putter wanted to make soup, he found that he was missing an important ingredient. But one day when he and Tabby wanted soup for supper, Mr. Putter found that he had everything he needed. He peeled and chopped it all--onions, carrots, potatoes, and celery. He dropped everything into a big pot of water.

Mr. Potter turned on the stove. But nothing happened.

Oh, no! Bessie is on the blink.

Mr. Potter looked at the house next door. Mr. Teaberry and her good dog Zeke lived there. And they had a stove.

He called Mrs. Teaberry, who said she was going to be out for a while, but Mr. Putter and Tabby were very welcome to come over and cook their soup on her stove.

"I hope Zeke won't be a bother!" she said.

"Zeke is never a bother," said Mr. Putter.

But Zeke was a bother.

First he appeared with his leash in his mouth, and Mr. Putter had to tell him that he couldn't take him for a walk. But then Zeke brought Mr. Potter his ball and then his fetching stick--and then a houseplant. Mr. Putter had to put the plant in the bathtub. Next Zeke appeared with a radio and even the floor lamp.

It was a very busy morning. Mr. Putter and Tabby were worn out and had to lie down on the couch for a rest.

When Mrs. Teaberry returned, she found Mr. Potter and Tabby sleeping soundly on the sofa. Zeke was on the floor, gnawing on a raw carrot. Everything looked ... different.

Her house was missing things.

There was a lamp in the sink.

And Mrs. Teaberry found the rest of the missing things in the bathtub.

"Were you a bother?" she asked Zeke. Zeke wagged his tail.

But while the rest of them nap, Mr. Teaberry stirred up some raisin bread and cheese toasties, and everyone had Mr. Potter's delicious soup for supper. All's well that ends with a tasty meal with friends. But Mr. Putter seems to still be missing his hat, in Cynthia Rylant's Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), another delightful tale of pets and friendship in Rylant's beloved heartwarming series. As always, the gently humorous artwork of Arthur Howard adds the comic details delightfully with his cleverly sketched sight gags. An easy beginning read and a knockout read-aloud story for groups in a series in which old is always good.