McDuff & Friends Friendship Box

I bought the book set several years ago since I have a Westie, I now have a great nephew that loves these books, when I see him coming with the little box of McDuff books, i think oh no how many times can I read these. He is 2 and can now finish the sentences for me! they are a very cute collection

The McDuff series lovingly recreates a small New England town of the late 1940''s or early `50's. The frontispiece shows a neighborhood of gables two and three-story house, some with curved roofs, masonry, and picket fences, all with tall chimneys nearly touching the treetops. It's immediately welcoming. When we meet a cute (!), big-eyed, white terrier, our hearts are completely won over. McDuff is a dog's dog: He's got a nose for food, a watchful eye, and he's full of terrier energy. This review will focuse on "McDuff Comes Home," one of three stories included here. In "McDuff Comes Home," our canine hero discovers that the kitchen window is closed. Alas! He can't bask on his Adirondack chair and savor the usual "snappy scent of Fred's frying sausages, the velvety smell of Lucy's vanilla rice pudding." (In a book set in the post-war era, I wonder if this is a thinly veiled reference to Fred Mertz and Lucille Rcardo...). Undistracted by food, McDuff notices and then chases a large brown rabbit, loses his collar, and finally collapses in a cozy vegetable patch--just the spot for a snooze. The garden owner heads for the police station with the lost dog in her motorcycle sidecar--another wonderful touch--but McDuff's "woofs" guide them back to his home instead. Here, Fred and Lucy serve a lavish 1950's lunch: Period dishes piled high with apple pie, perhaps a dozen thick sandwiches, an entire ham, and various cheeses and dessert. McDuff, looking very content, sits in his Adirondack, about to eat a favorite treat, "a small dish of vanilla rice pudding with a sausage slice on top." Veteran writer Rosemary Wells (the "Max and Ruby" series) keeps things moving, and the story is neither too dense nor too blandly simple. Some writers seem to slap on contrived "funny" endings but Welles blends an unforced comic twist with an integrated, reassuring conclusion. Caldecott Honor winner Susan Jeffries' great sense of period style adds to the series' appeal. The colors are smooth and saturated; the contours rounded and inviting--the book exudes welcoming, friendly warmth. Jeffries takes chances with her youngest audience in one 2-page spread that shows a curving trail of repeated Cuffs and the rabbit meant to show the zigzagging trail of their chase. This may confuse some small fry, but it's a delightfully energetic scene, enjoyable on its own (and somewhat older kids will have little difficulty understanding an adult's explanation). "McDuff Comes Home" is just one great story in this collection of three, and it masterfully blends active and soothing scenes to delight child and adult, both day and night. The McDuff series is another winner from Rosemary Wells (with copious help from illustrator Susan Jeffers), the author who gave us the bunny antics of Max and Ruby.

A friend bought our two year-old "McDuff's New Friend" for Christmas, and we all liked it so much that we went out and bought this set of the earlier stories, too. These are beautifully illustrated little books, and the small format versions are perfect for our toddler's hands. McDuff is charming, and his adventures are told with an economy and subtle humor that parents can appreciate as much as the little ones. We read all three of these every day, and none of us have gotten tired of them yet. These are great books for gifts to children or the people who read to them. They might be especially appreciated by grandparents and greatgrandparents, who will enjoy the books' mild humor and 1930s setting.

If you love darling little fluff-muffin dogs, it doesn't get any better than this! The cute purse-like container has McDuff's sweet face on it. Inside are three of the best McDuff books, plus stickers. Any kid would LOVE this. I bought one for myself, it was so darn cute and reminded me so much of my own precious terrier. This is the present I'm going to give every small child from now on. The illustrations of McDuff are absolutely on the mark: This illustrator REALLY knows what terriers are like--their poignant, wistful looks; the way they hold their bodies; and a million other endearing characteristics. Also, children are sure to be stimulated by these wonderfully simple but thought-provoking and unsentimental little stories about, for example, how McDuff gets jealous over a new baby, and how McDuff gets lost but finds his way home. All of the McDuff books are absolutely top-notch. They will warm your heart!

In the first three books of this charming series, McDuff finds his new "forever" home with a happy young couple, explores the neighborhood and deals with the homecoming of a new baby into the family. Warm, innocent and beautifully illustrated, the McDuff books capture the impish and loyal character of Westies-- and a simpler era that is a welcome antidote to our recent times. Buy them, by all means-- for adults or children of any age!