Mr. Mugs – Rockets Away!
The fourth monthly reading series is Mr. Mugs – Rockets Away! by Martha Kambeitz and Denise Burns, with the assistance of Dorothy H. M. Dunn, Jessie W Shular, Dorothy Simpson and Inez Sunderland. This page contains the second half of the book. You can find the first half (Chapters 1-34) here.
To learn more about the Mr. Mugs books please visit the Reading Series Page. You can also watch dramatic readings of two additional Mr. Mugs books there.
You can listen to and read all the previous book readings under the Reading Series Tab.
Chapter 35 / Page 72-73 (June 2023)
Fun at School
Off we go…
What Are Long Necks For?
“Here we are! Out you go!
Have a good time!”
One by one the boys and girls
tumbled out. Away they ran
to have a look at what was inside.
“I’ve always wanted to come here,”
said Bill.
“So have I,” answered Jim.
Let’s get up closer. I want to have
a good look.”
Chapter 36 / Page 74 (July 2023)
“Look at the bears!” shouted Cathy.
“I like bears, don’t you?”
“Are they playing something?” asked Pat.
“I don’t think so, Pat. I think they’re fighting,” answered Cathy.
“Bears always want fish.
Look at that one take a tumble!
I like this!”
“So do I,” said Pat.
Chapter 37 / Page 75 (August 2023)
Pat heard some chattering nearby and
he went to see what it was.
It was the monkeys –
the chattering monkeys!
Hello, monkeys.
Do you always chatter like that?
What are you chattering about?
It sounds funny.
Look out, monkey! Don’t tumble!
Look where you’re going!
Why are you looking at me like that?
Are you chattering about me?
Chapter 38 / Page 76 (September 2023)
Pat saw some tigers there too.
When he went by they made some angry sounds.
Don’t look at me like that, Tiger.
Why can’t you be happy?
The chattering monkeys are.
I don’t think you like me!
Are you always so angry?
It’s a good thing you’re on the inside.
Your baby tigers love to tumble and play.
Don’t you? I guess not.
Good-bye. I’m going!
Chapter 39 / Page 77 (October 2023)
Pat saw
the big giraffe
looking at him.
He liked the big giraffe.
What’s it like away up there?
What a long neck!
What do you do with it, giraffe?
How do you go in and out
of your house?
Is your neck always that long?
With a long neck like that,
what can you do?
Here’s a peanut butter
sandwich. Want it?
Pat was looking up
at the giraffe . . .
and thinking . . .
THEN! . . .
Chapter 40 / Page 78 (November 2023)
SURPRISE!
The giraffe didn’t want
the peanut butter sandwich.
He wanted something else –
and he got it!
The giraffe was laughing.
“That’s what long necks are for,
little boy!”
Can you tumble like the bears?
Can you chatter like the monkeys?
Can you make angry sounds like the tigers?
Chapter 41 / Page 79 (December 2023)
An Elephant
An elephant has an awfully long nose
And looks as if he’s slept in his clothes.
Zhenya Gay
Chapter 42 / Page 80-81 (January 2024)
Georgie Giraffe
The next day Mrs. Cook told a story
about Georgie Giraffe . . .
Georgie didn’t like being a giraffe.
“My neck!” he cried. “It’s too long.
Who wants a neck like this?
A giraffe’s a funny animal to be.
I’m tired of being a giraffe!
I’m tired of this long neck!”
Mr. and Mrs. Giraffe didn’t like
what they heard.
“We like being giraffes,” they said.
“Your neck isn’t too long. I think
it makes you look pretty,” said Mrs. G.
“But Mother!” Georgie cried.
“Look at my long legs!
I can’t get down fast when I want to.
What good are long legs like this?
I’m tired of being a giraffe, Mother.
I want to be a little animal for a change.
A giraffe’s a funny animal to be.”
Mrs. G. wasn’t happy about this.
Chapter 43 / Page 82 (February 2024)
Mr. G. thought and then told Georgie,
“You know, Georgie, you can’t change like that.
Your long legs are for running fast.
You can outrun the tiger, the bear,
and the elephant.
With your long neck you can look
away out and up and see things.
Little animals can’t see what you do.”
“Think about that, Georgie.
You are a giraffe.
So you should be a good one.
You won’t be happy trying to be
something you’re not.
You’ll have to change your thinking,
Georgie. You can’t change
what you look like.”
Georgie thought about what Mr. G.
had told him.
Chapter 44 / Page 83 (March 2024)
One morning Georgie saw something.
“Look! What’s that!” he shouted.
“Look at that color!
It’s red and it’s fast!”
Mr. and Mrs. G. Saw the red color, too.
“I know that color, Georgie,”
said Mr. G. “It’s fire!
Animals are afraid of fire.
The water! The water!
Run for the water!” he shouted.
They ran and ran.
The giraffes told the animals about the fire.
They ran for the water nearby.
Elephants, tigers, bears, and monkeys
ran for the water.
“Run for the water!” shouted Mr. G.
“Run or you’ll be trapped!”
Chapter 45 / Page 84 (April 2024)
One by one the tired animals
tumbled into the water.
They looked back. The fire
was coming closer and closer.
“It’s good to be in this water,”
said the elephant.
… To be continued next month!
