Story Review of Mr. Putter and Tabby See The Stars

Characters:  Mr. Putter, Tabby, Mrs. Teaberry, and Zeke.

Setting:  Mr. Putter’s home, Mrs. Teaberry’s house, streets. 

Plot:  Mr. Putter and Tabby everyday sleep like logs. But one night, one of the logs could not sleep because of the stomach problem.

Genre: Fiction 

Perspective: Third-Person viewpoint 

The story Mr. Putter & Tabby see the stars is written by Cynthia Rylant. It talks about Mr. Putter and his neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry. Mr. Putter and his cat, Tabby, can sleep everywhere and they sleep like logs. Mrs. Teaberry is Mr. Putter’s good friend and neighbor. When Mrs. Teaberry cooks something, she is always sending her dog, Zeke, over to Mr. Putter’s house with a note. The note is like an invitation, because she does not want to interrupt him. One day, Mrs. Teaberry invites Mr. Putter to eat pineapple jelly rolls. Because Mr. Putter eats too many rolls so his stomach does not feel well and he cannot sleep that night. So Mr. Putter and Tabby go out for a walk. They see the sky and Mr. Putter tells his dream when he was a boy to Tabby. They finally arrive at home and see Mrs. Teaberry. Mrs. Teaberry could not sleep because her dog Zeke has the same problem as Mr. Putter. Then Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry talk about secrets, share stories, and make each other laugh. Mr. Putter and Zeke’s stomach talk to each other. When the stomachs stop growling, they go home and sleep. The next day, Mrs. Teaberry makes some cookies and invites Mr. Putter and Tabby to come over to taste the cookies. (15)

Good neighbors could be good friends who can offer help or take care of others. A good neighbor is someone who is considerate, respectful, and helpful, trying to make a positive community. After Mrs. Teaberry finishes cooking pineapple jelly rolls, she sends Zeke with notes to invite Mr. Putter to eat them. After taking a walk at night, Mr. Putter stopped in front of Mrs. Teaberry’s house, telling stories, sharing secrets, and making each other laugh. Neighbors are the closest people who live near us. We say “Hello” or wave our hands to our neighbors whenever we see them. We could have a “Block Party” where neighbors have a potluck together and chat with each other to share stories and valuable information. More importantly, neighbors help us keep the packages, push the trash can to the street, and watch our home when we are away. Developing good relationships with neighbors is like having another family in the world. (13)

Pets can provide unique friendships that help people get rid of loneliness and provide people unconditional love. Pets are good company acting like a friend or a good listener because of their companionship and loyalty. Mr. Putter and Tabby, his cat, can sleep anywhere together. When Mr. Putter’s stomach is grumbling, Tabby keeps Mr. Putter company to take for a walk in the neighborhood. When they are walking, Mr. Putter talks to Tabby about the stars. Mr. Putter has Tabby. Mr. Putter keeps Tabby as a company. When Mr. Putter eats pineapple jelly rolls, Tabby eats, too. When Mr. Putter does not feel well and takes a walk outside, Tabby is with him. Whatever he goes or does, Mr. Putter always takes Tabby. If Mr. Putter doesn’t have Tabby as a pet, he will be lonely. He will not have anyone to talk with. Tabby the cat is a good listener, even a good friend, who always stands by. That’s what friends are for. Having a pet as a company would make life more colorful and energetic, so people will not feel lonely. (12)

Even if pets are good company or good listeners, they cannot replace human relationships. Although pets could provide people unconditional love, there are some things pets still cannot do but people can do. When Mr. Putter does not feel well about his stomach, he takes Tabby, the cat, for a walk. But when Mr. Putter sees Mrs. Teaberry, his neighbor, he talks with her and shares stories. Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry they talk, they really talk to each other. They know what they are talking about. They know what they want and they share with each other. Mr. Putter feels happier. But Tabby, the pet, is different. Pets are nice to people but pets cannot be people. Pets cannot cook like Mrs. Teaberry does. Pets cannot talk to Mr. Putter even though they are good listers. Pets cannot really do something with their hands but neighbors can. People still need human friends because there are still some things that pets cannot do. (8)

The story Mr. Putter & Tabby see the stars talks about the relationship between Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby and the relationship between Mr. Putter and his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry. From this story, I am getting the idea of companionship. Neighbors live very close to our home and they can provide a lot of help and keep each other company. We can do a lot of activities with our neighbors. This is especially true for the old people. Also, a cat or a dog are not only good company but also a good listener. Not everyone is in a big family or has a lot of neighbors to talk to, so a cat or a dog could provide companionship. Pets help people get rid of the feelings of being lonely. But still, there are some things that pets cannot do, like talk with each other or share ideas, so people still need human friends. (6)