Anna and Andy Hummingbird are playing in the backyard when The Nice Lady has a friend come to visit. Her friend brings her dog named Rudy. The Nice Lady tells her friend it is fine for Rudy to play in the backyard since he cannot get out due to the block wall. As the friends have tea, Rudy begins his reign of terror. He knocks over bags of dirt, digs holes, tears up The Nice Lady’s apron and hat, digs up the vegetables and trees, and knocks down the potted plants. The hummingbirds try to warn the friends, but they just shoo them off. Anna and Andy try to chase Rudy, telling him he is acting badly and will be in trouble, but Rudy continually laughs them off and continues his mischief. After much more trouble, the friend calls Rudy to leave. The hummingbirds then show The Nice Lady what Rudy has done. She promises the birds Rudy will never be allowed back again.

Young has produced an engaging, entertaining children’s story teaching the lesson of respect for other people’s property. Young uses animal characters to better captivate the attention of her young audience while still educating them. Through one of her main characters, Rudy, Young emphasizes the destruction that just one disrespectful, mischievous person can make. She shows it takes only one bad seed to destroy many years of work like Ruby did by pulling up all the vegetables and trees. However, Young also demonstrates, through Anna and Andy, that it is good to stand up to disobedient people in order to help save other’s property and try to enlighten troublesome individuals with the lesson of respect. Children will love this inspiring story.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Return to USR Home