Rating: 
Summary: Martha Speaks to Adults
Review: I actually bought this book because I thought it was amusing but both my husband and (dog loving) 2yo daughter love it too. It is the book that our daughter picks out every night as her main bedtime story. Sometimes we read just the text and sometimes we read bits of Martha's monologues as well. As for teaching young children bad language, our daughter did start saying 'Shut up' after the first couple of readings of this book but we just change that bit to 'Be quiet!' when we read the book out loud to her.
Rating: 
Summary: A very cute and funny book.
Review: I think one should buy hardcover books for children. Children should own books to start a life-long love of books. They should be hardcover books because they last longer and can be passed between the generations. But, the hardcover books we buy should be only good books. Martha Speaks is a good book. The character of Martha the dog is very appealing. She is cute but kind of homely with a lot of charm. As you can imagine, a dog who acquires the ability to speak has a lot to say. One thing we have enjoyed reading this book to our children is to allow the young readers to read the text in the cartoon balloons. There are a lot of these in the book and much of silliness is spoken here. My children, ages 5 and 7, find this book very funny. It could also be educational, but I don't worry about that. If you begin with fun books then educational books will follow later. There are a few other Martha books available and they have their own charm as well. I recommend checking out all the other books by this author.
Rating:
Summary: Loving this book!
Review: I'm 30 years old, and BEG my nieces to let me read this to them over and over! I'm not only a dog lover, but I also appreciate the hysterical humor and illustrations. This book will please kids and adults alike! (Favorite line: "Martha, SHUT UP!" (It's funny when you read it!)
Rating: 
Summary: a talking dog!
Review: Kids love the idea of a talking dog, and Martha's story is amusing, as she develops the ability to speak after eating alphabet soup and then drives her family mad with her nonstop talking (except during her own televisioin shows, of course). It's unfortunate that the family eventually collectively yell at Martha to "SHUT UP!" but we just talk about the inappropriateness of the family's response, even when they're frustrated. Eventually they resolve the situation when Martha proves to be brave, intelligent and lucky during an encounter with a burglar. A bit loopy but kids love it/
Rating:
Summary: A jolly little book
Review: Once again I got this for my nephew. This is a great book with colorful pictures and an amusing storyline. Martha is a dog and one day she eats a bowl of alphabet soup and suddenly finds she can talk. At first her owners are delighted but the novelty soon wears off when Martha talks none-stop, creating many funny situations that leave you giggling as you turn each page. Martha is truthful, never lying, thus causing embarrassment for her owner when she tells someone that her owner said the fruitcake she had made was not fit for a dog, but she (Martha) had enjoyed it. Eventually the family tell Martha to SHUT-UP and she is crushed and after that refuses to talk anymore. This is resolved however when Martha saves the day when the family home is burgled. This book will have you crying with laugher as this little pooch and her family worm their way into your heart. Having read this book to my six-year-old nephew I feel that the reading age for this book should be six to eight as it is filled with conversation that might be too hard for a very young reader. All the same it is a great book for an adult to read to a child, and the colorful pictures are well drawn and pleasing to the eye. A very nice book, that most young children (and adults) will love and want to read again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun for Young and Adults Alike!
Review: Somehow, after eating a bowl of alphabet soup, Martha the dog can speak! (There's a very funny illustration of the letters going to her brain instead of her stomach; no further explanation is necessary!). But being able to speak is not the same as knowing when to speak (she interrupts people), how much to say (she talks incessantly), or what to say (she can be a little rude at times). A very funny book, with nice loopy pictures, a subtle lesson in manners, and a happy outcome (except for the would-be burglar). One of a series of "Martha" books, this would make a great gift for young children, and is one of those special finds that adult will enjoy reading as well!
Rating:
Summary: Martha Speaks to Adults
Review: The story of Martha Dog's development into speaking family member amused my 5-year-old daughter, but the hand-written words emanating from Martha's mouth confused her. No wonder: they're not designed for the same audience. The story was created for young readers, while Martha's monologues and asides are intended for adults.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is a terrible kids' book
Review: This book really shocked me. It was given to us as a gift. It contains scary themes like a masked thief entering a home. Kids have nightmares about these things! It also details the whole family screaming at the dog to "SHUT UP". This is a terrible kids book. Why would anyone encourage kids to scream "shut up" at anything? No wonder why kids are so fresh these days! I would not recommend this book if you do not want these themes being presented to your children. Reading should be fun and educational, not scary and sarcastic.
Rating:
Summary: Good book for kids
Review: Warning: By reading this book to your children you may be inadvertently encouraging them to force-feed their puppies alphabet soup. Creating a book that is as much comic strip as it is enjoyable picture book, Susan Meddaugh's enjoyable 1992 creation follows the adventures and misadventures of Martha the talking pup. After being fed a bowl of delicious alphabet soup, Martha, the family pet, begins talking in complete grammatically correct sentences. For the family, this new occurrence is initially a boon. Martha is able to explain all kinds of doggish mysteries, hitherto unexplained to humans. She answers the door to the pizza delivery girl, much to family's amusement. She amazes both family and friends. Unfortunately, there are downsides to owning a talking dog. Martha, once she learns how to dial the phone, is prone to ordering large quantities of barbecue beef. She doesn't understand such social niceties as not commenting on someone's appearance loudly in pubic (especially if that someone is fat). And she talks constantly about nothing at all. When the family finally proclaims that Martha's talking is too much, the humbled doggie falls into a deep depression and refuses to devour anymore alphabet soup. Fortunately the appearance of a nasty burglar in the home gives Martha the opportunity to save the day and reinstate herself as the family's favorite talking dog. The book's an original, no question. Martha's constant chatter appears as speech balloons over her head. If you get this edition in hardback, I highly recommend that you flip to the author's photo on the back inside cover to see a picture of a dog that looks very much as if it might have been the inspiration for Martha's cuddly form. The illustrations are sweet and inticing and Martha says everything you'd expect a dog to say (if neutered). The double page spread of her blowing away the family with an incredibly long speech is particularly impressive. I suspect that if you were to read this book to your little one they would insist that you read every single word that pops out of Martha's mouth. All things considered, this might take some time so prepare to set aside some 20 minutes for a full and unabridged reading of the delightful "Martha Speaks". As for the use of the term, "shut up", (which the family yells at Martha when they canst takes it no more) this is left entirely up to the reader's discretion. If you live in a home where the phrase is considered impolite, you may wish to read it aloud from the book in a silly way, or simply disguise it as the less controversial "Be Quiet" (which I do not, personally, endorse). If this phrase is not considered impolite in your home, let rip and let go. This is altogether a fine book and an amusing story. This is an excellent choice for those children interested in the intricacies of canine yabbering.
Rating:
Summary: Speak, girl!
Review: Warning: By reading this book to your children you may be inadvertently encouraging them to force-feed their puppies alphabet soup. Creating a book that is as much comic strip as it is enjoyable picture book, Susan Meddaugh's enjoyable 1992 creation follows the adventures and misadventures of Martha the talking pup. After being fed a bowl of delicious alphabet soup, Martha, the family pet, begins talking in complete grammatically correct sentences. For the family, this new occurrence is initially a boon. Martha is able to explain all kinds of doggish mysteries, hitherto unexplained to humans. She answers the door to the pizza delivery girl, much to family's amusement. She amazes both family and friends. Unfortunately, there are downsides to owning a talking dog. Martha, once she learns how to dial the phone, is prone to ordering large quantities of barbecue beef. She doesn't understand such social niceties as not commenting on someone's appearance loudly in pubic (especially if that someone is fat). And she talks constantly about nothing at all. When the family finally proclaims that Martha's talking is too much, the humbled doggie falls into a deep depression and refuses to devour anymore alphabet soup. Fortunately the appearance of a nasty burglar in the home gives Martha the opportunity to save the day and reinstate herself as the family's favorite talking dog. The book's an original, no question. Martha's constant chatter appears as speech balloons over her head. If you get this edition in hardback, I highly recommend that you flip to the author's photo on the back inside cover to see a picture of a dog that looks very much as if it might have been the inspiration for Martha's cuddly form. The illustrations are sweet and inticing and Martha says everything you'd expect a dog to say (if neutered). The double page spread of her blowing away the family with an incredibly long speech is particularly impressive. I suspect that if you were to read this book to your little one they would insist that you read every single word that pops out of Martha's mouth. All things considered, this might take some time so prepare to set aside some 20 minutes for a full and unabridged reading of the delightful "Martha Speaks". As for the use of the term, "shut up", (which the family yells at Martha when they canst takes it no more) this is left entirely up to the reader's discretion. If you live in a home where the phrase is considered impolite, you may wish to read it aloud from the book in a silly way, or simply disguise it as the less controversial "Be Quiet" (which I do not, personally, endorse). If this phrase is not considered impolite in your home, let rip and let go. This is altogether a fine book and an amusing story. This is an excellent choice for those children interested in the intricacies of canine yabbering.
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