Henry and Mudge and Mrs. Hopper's House

[Editor's Note: This is a combined review with HENRY AND MUDGE AND THE TALL TREE HOUSE.]--Cynthia Rylant offers more enjoyable tales for fans of her expansive Henry and Mudge series. In these two stories, Rylant focuses on the scary aspects of going to a sitter's house and on the downside of having a tree house that your dog cannot share. Both subjects showcase Rylant's sympathetic insights into childhood and her ability to write books just right for early readers. Veteran narrator George Guidall has a warm voice, and he uses a kid-friendly pace that flows along, allowing readers time to follow the words and enjoy the humor in the pictures. His voice provides just the right companionable tone for children who are discovering the joys of early reading for themselves. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine