Martha and Skits (Martha Speaks)

The Martha books are one of mine (and my 5 year old son) favorite books! We have every book that has been published. When will Susan Menendaugh publish another? We love the Martha Speaks series on PBS.

These book series are wholesome, educational and very well written. The illustrations are so very cute!! I highly recommend them to anyone with children! This book teaches there is always room for one more!! I have read thousands of books through the years to our children, now Grandchildren and these books are simply CHARMING works of Art!!!

brought this book home. my toddler recognized Martha and was immediately interested in reading it together. the parts where Skits pops the balloon and chases the ball down the staircase made her laugh out loud. Priceless!

Martha, a mature dog, is first amused and later annoyed by Skits a new puppy. It is fun to watch the relationship between wise Martha and spazzy Skits develop past annoyance and on to motherly concern. The book made me hungry for more Martha stories, especially the origin story, which explains how Martha's first taste of alphabet soup gave her the power of human speech. The artwork makes me think of perennial New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast, with its amusing, perplexed-looking people.

In this episode, Martha's family brings home a new brother, Skits. At first, Martha is amused by his puppy antics. When Skits bothers her alphabet soup, she lays down the law-#1 She's the alpha, and #2 Don't mess with the alphabet soup. Skits specialized in "anything airborne"-bugs, balls, balloons. When Skits tried his first alphabet soup, it didn't go to his head and come out words like it did for Martha. He was sad because he knew he disappointed the family. But then he bit down on an angry yellowjacket, and in trying to run away from it, he got completely lost. Does he get back home? Who figures out how to find him? If you like a good laugh, and a good dog story, and if you believe there's something special about everyone - read Martha and Skits.