Martha Speaks (Martha Speaks Series)

When Helen Finney feeds alphabet soup to her dog Martha, Martha begins to speak. But having a talking dog is not as fun as it seems.

Publishers Weekly

With the arrival of Martha, Lassie had best look to her canine laurels. This scintillating story weighs the pros and cons of owning a loquacious pet. Thanks to the apparently magical properties of alphabet soup, unassuming mutt Martha is transformed into the Mr. Ed of the canine world. Unfortunately, the novelty for her human family wears off in a hurry: Martha blabs non-stop and commits numerous gaffes--telling one visitor, ``Mom said that fruitcake you sent wasn't fit for a dog. But I thought it was delicious.'' Meddaugh's ( The Witches' Supermarket ; Tree of Birds ) quirky take on the anthropomorphic pooch proves uproarious. Droll illustrations capture Martha's guileless expressions, her joy at the mastery of speech and her hurt feelings after she's commanded to pipe down. The book may be difficult to read aloud because Martha's not-to-be-missed comments, separate from the main narrative, interrupt the tale's flow. Still, anyone who's ever wondered what their pets are thinking will enjoy this imaginative book, its tactless but lovable main character and its triumphant ending. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Susan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for GOOD STONES (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, 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. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts.