Grade 3–6—Mr. Gum lives in a disgustingly filthy house where
"he slept, scowled, and picked his nose and ate it." Even the bed
isn''t made—Mr. Gum chucked "bits of wood on the floor and dumped a
mattress on top." But his garden is the most beautiful in the town.
Why? Some speculate that he likes to garden, but the real reason is
the angry fairy who gives him "pan whacks" if the garden isn''t
perfect. Unfortunately for Mr. Gum, the neighborhood dog, Jake,
frequently messes up the garden—causing Mr. Gum too many whacks
with the frying pan. So Mr. Gum leaves spoiled cow hearts laced
with rat poison and sweetened with lemonade powder in the center of
the lawn. Jake takes the bait, but is ultimately saved by
nine-year-old Polly and some magic chocolate a questionable
remedy, since chocolate is dangerous to dogs. English author Andy
Stanton provides flawless narration of his book HarperCollins,
2008. His deadpan delivery and comic timing are perfect. With its
quirky cast of characters and silly sense of humor, this story is a
great choice for reluctant readers.—Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace
Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL
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Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio
CD edition.