Mogie: The Heart of the House (with audio recording)

by Kathi Appelt, Marc Rosenthal (Illustrator)

Overview

Mogie is a real-life Labradoodle with a special talent: he always knows just what a sick kid needs! Get to know this passionate pup with this story by a Newbery Honoree.

Give that dog a puddle and he’d splash. Give him a whistle and he’d roll over. Give him a rule and he’d break it.

One day a passel of puppies was born. Each puppy was designated for a Very Important Job, like Service Dog, or Search and Rescue Dog, or Groomed for the Show Ring Dog.

Each puppy, that is, except Mogie. Mogie was a ball-chasing, tail-wagging, moon-howling pup. Not the kind of pup for any of those jobs!

But there is a place that is just right for Mogie: a very special house where sick children and their families can stay while they undergo long-term treatment. A place with children who NEED a ball-chasing, tail-wagging, moon-howling pup.

And there’s one little boy in particular who needs Mogie. And Mogie is about to prove he’s the best darn pooch in the passel. Based on a true story, this heartwarming picture book is published in conjunction with the Ronald McDonald House.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442480551
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	06/10/2014
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	AD470L (what's this?)
File size:	22 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kathi Appelt is the author of the Newbery Honoree, National Book Award finalist, and bestselling The Underneath as well as the National Book Award finalist The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, Maybe a Fox (with Alison McGhee), Keeper, and many picture books including Counting Crows and Max Attacks. She has two grown children and lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband. Visit her at KathiAppelt.com.

Marc Rosenthal is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of many books for children, including the Small Walt collection by Elizabeth Verdick, All You Need Is Love by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, I Must Have Bobo! by Eileen Rosenthal, We Love Fishing! and Mabel Wants a Friend by Ariel Bernstein, and Archie and the Pirates, which he wrote. He lives in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Learn more at Marc-Rosenthal.com.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2014
PreS-Gr 3—Based on a true story, this tale introduces readers to Mogie, a dog who becomes an inspiration to children in a Ronald McDonald House. Gage and his family move to the house after the boy becomes sick. There are rules to help the children get better, including "no puppies!" In a nearby town, a litter of puppies is born. Two of them become service dogs, three train for Search-and-Rescue, and four are groomed for the show ring. Mogie, however, fails at each of these endeavors because he breaks all the rules. This is why he does so well at the Ronald McDonald House. He walks right in and meets Gage. Slowly, Mogie helps him feel better. The boy eventually gets to go home, but there are more children there for Mogie to help. This heartwarming story will satisfy animal lovers and anyone who enjoys a happy ending. The illustrations, rendered in pencil and charcoal, and digitally, complement the story. Mogie is adorable; it's no wonder that he has a positive affect on Gage and the other children. The book makes good use of negative space, and page layouts vary to keep visual interest. This title would work well as a read-aloud and as an excellent choice for independent reading.—Emily E. Lazio, The Smithtown Special Library District, NY

School Library Journal

04/21/2014
This cheering story is based on a real-life Labradoodle that resides at the Ronald McDonald House in Houston. Though this “ball-chasing, tail-wagging, moon-howling pup” is too frisky to make the grade as a service, search-and-rescue, or show dog, Mogie finds his raison d’être after wandering into a “very special house in the heart of the Big City.” There he befriends Gage, “once a ball-chasing, race-running, back-flipping boy,” who is now in a wheelchair. Rosenthal’s (Bobo the Sailor Man) loosely drafted illustrations showcase Mogie’s devotion to Gage, while Appelt’s homey, emphatic tone (“Give that dog a puddle and he’d splash”) will ring familiar to readers of The Underneath and The True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp. When Gage, much recovered, leaves for home, Mogie adopts another needy patient. Kids will find the narrator’s question, “Who wouldn’t love a dog like that?” very easy to answer. A warm tribute to a remarkable dog and to the workers at Ronald McDonald Houses, which will receive a share of proceeds from book sales. Ages 4–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (June)

Publishers Weekly