Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 02/08/2010
Martha Speaks…on TV!
This loquacious pooch, first introduced in Susan Meddaugh’s beloved Martha Speaks (Houghton, 1992) and five other popular picture books, made her television debut in the fall of 2008. Produced by WGBH in Boston along with Vancouver’s Studio B Productions, the animated series airs daily on PBS Kids and is now in its second season. As in the books, Martha’s unusual ability comes from being fed alphabet soup: the letters travel to her brain instead of her stomach, giving her the power of speech. Outspoken and self-confident, Martha makes a good counterbalance for her owner and best friend, 10-year-old Helen Lorraine, who is shy and artistic. The bilingual Martha (she speaks both human and dog) also interacts with the rest of the Lorraine family, Helen’s friends and neighbors, and a cast of animals that inhabit Wagstaff City.
Aimed at viewers between the ages of four and seven, the show’s educational goal is to teach kids new words and increase oral vocabulary, building a familiarity with language that will ultimately facilitate learning to read and help create competent readers. Each episode includes two stories and is designed to introduce up to 20 words.
The Martha Speaks Web site is an entertaining and educational destination with colorful visuals and plenty of child appeal. A slide-show-like sequence lays out the show’s premise and short video clips draw in kids with highlights. Numerous fun-to-play and easy-to-manipulate games starring the characters amuse youngsters while emphasizing new vocabulary. An “About the Author” section introduces Meddaugh and her protagonist with fun facts and a video showing the real Martha as well as the writer’s current-day canine companions. In addition, kids can watch selected episodes on PBS Kids Go! or download them from iTunes.
The site is also packed with tips for parents and teachers designed to help children get the most out of their viewing experience. In “The Experts Speak” section, four literacy authorities discuss the importance of teaching vocabulary and how educators can integrate instruction into their lessons. Teachers may also be interested in the “Martha Speaks Reading Buddies Program,” a curriculum developed to accompany the series that pairs kindergarten and upper-level elementary students to “develop their self-esteem and social skills, and enhance their love of books and reading.” All of the necessary materials (including a detailed how-to for teachers) are available on the site for downloading and printing along with links for viewing the highlighted episodes.
Book Tie-ins
Houghton Mifflin recently published a crisply colored lineup of Martha Speaks titles. Featuring artwork from the animated series, all of the covers are decorated with the same border (alphabet-soup-style letters set against a rich-hued background) and include the show’s title banner and the PBS Kids emblem. The bright images of the characters and inviting design will attract readers. The offerings are based on teleplays, and TV fans will enjoy re-exploring the familiar plots in book version. Kids unfamiliar with the particulars of an episode or the series itself will have no trouble following the clearly presented story lines and enjoying the cleanly reproduced illustrations. Taken as a series, the books represent a variety of formats, pulling in youngsters of different ages and reading abilities.
Martha Says It with Flowers, a picture book (PreS–Gr 3), begins with a comic-book-style recounting of the show’s alphabet-soup-eating premise before launching into an amusing tale. After unintentionally getting on Grandma Lucille’s wrong side, Martha tries to make amends by choosing the perfect birthday gift for the woman, but soon discovers that canine and human tastes are very different. Will the well-meaning pooch be able to prove that she truly is a “considerate dog”? The narrative reads aloud smoothly, the cartoon images are neatly displayed against white backgrounds, and frequent dialogue balloons help express Martha’s buoyant nature.
Two level 2 “Green Light Readers” combine simple language, straightforward dialogue, and short sentences with illustrations that provide visual clues (K–Gr 2). In Play Ball!, Martha helps her human friend Truman gain confidence before the big game by working with him on his catching skills. Farm Dog Martha has the pooch visiting a farm for the very first time, where she makes some mistakes but redeems herself by protecting the sheep against a frightening coyote. These satisfying easy readers are available in both hardcover and paperback.
Two chapter books, also published in both formats, provide more detailed retellings with longer narratives and plentiful artwork (Gr 1–4). The texts are sprinkled with lively dialogue and include “Martha Speaks” segments told from the dog’s perspective. Martha on the Case presents two mystery-based tales. In the first, the pooch is accused of consuming a birthday cake and her friends must prove her innocence; in the second, Martha comes into contact with two shady characters and attempts to prevent a jewelry store heist. Shelter Dog Blues has Martha mistakenly taken to “The Doggy Slammer” and though she is soon reunited with her family, the compassionate critter is determined to find homes for all of her new canine friends. Newly confident readers will enjoy the books’ fast pacing, humorous dialogue, and descriptive artwork.
More Martha Speaks tie-ins are scheduled for publication later this year. And don’t forget to introduce TV series fans to Meddaugh’s original Martha Speaks and the other five picture books about this delightful dog. Visit Houghton Mifflin’s Web site for more details.
Pub Info
Martha Speaks: Martha Says It with Flowers. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-547-21058-2.
Martha Speaks: Play Ball! adapt. by Marcy Goldberg Sacks. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-547-36896-2; pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-0-547-21061-2.
Martha Speaks: Farm Dog Martha. adapt. by Karen Barss. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-547-36893-1; pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-0-547-21060-5.
Martha Speaks: Martha on the Case. adapt. by Jamie White. Tr $15.00. ISBN 978-0-547-36894-8; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-547-21055-1.
Martha Speaks: Shelter Dog Blues. adapt. by Jamie White. Tr $15.00. ISBN 978-0-547-36897-9; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-547-21050-6.
ea vol: Houghton. 2010.
