Mr. Putter & Tabby Ring the Bell

An older man who misses going to school arranges a show-and-tell visit with his cat, his neighbor, and her dog — but the class expects the pets to perform tricks.

For the grandparent-aged reader in every kid's life, and for kids who love hearing about grown-up friendships as much as kid ones, Mr. Putter's field trip back to school feels like a warm, funny reunion.

• Big idea: Growing older doesn't mean you stop missing simple pleasures — and friendship (furry or otherwise) is worth showing off.
• Vibes: Cozy, autumnal, gently comic — the feeling of crunchy leaves and a school bell ringing in the distance.

• enjoy gentle, everyday adventures
• like stories about pets and their people
• are working on understanding friendship across generations
• respond well to cozy, low-stakes chapter stories

• Story & problem-solving: Why do you think Mr. Putter wanted to visit school again, even for one day?
• Feelings & empathy: How do you think Mr. Putter felt when the teacher said the class expected pet tricks?
• Real-life connection: Have you ever brought something special to show-and-tell? What was it?
• Imagination: If you could bring any pet to your class for show-and-tell, what trick would you want it to do?
• Character connection: What do you like about the friendship between Mr. Putter, Mrs. Teaberry, Tabby, and Zeke?