Tugg and Teeny

Meet Tugg and Teeny. Best friends since -- well, forever! Tugg (a gorilla) and Teeny (a monkey) live together in their jungle neighborhood, Sidekick Thicket. As opposite as night and day, the two friends work and play together, each helping the other face life's challenges. Lively, impulsive Teeny always wants to try new things. Sure and steady Tugg is always there to lend a hand or give a word of encouragement. In this beginning chapter book series, Book One's trio of stories has Teeny learning to become a musician, developing her talents as an artist, and fine-tuning her skills as a poet. Book Two has her pondering strange and quirky situations in the jungle. All with the help of her best friend Tugg. J. Patrick (Pat) Lewis lives in Westerville, Ohio, and is the author of more than 60 books for children. He writes full-time, visits elementary schools, and speaks at literature conferences. His other books with Sleeping Bear are First Dog and First Dog's White House Christmas. Christopher Denise is an award-winning illustrator whose books have appeared on The New York Times bestsellers list. Known for his work on the Redwall picture book series, he also works as a visual development artist and character designer for feature film animation. Christopher lives in Barrington, Rhode Island.

The USA "Best Books" Awards--Finalist in the Children's Book Series Category, Runner-up, 2011

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Tugg and Teeny is a beginning reader for grades 2 through 3 and is the first book in the Tugg and Teeny series. This book is 40 pages long and is broken down into three chapters.

Tugg (a gorilla) and Teeny (a monkey) are very good friends. Teeny is very adventurous and likes to try new things. In this book, she learns to play a music stick, paint, and write poetry. None of these things comes naturally to Teeny, and she has to practice and work hard at them. Her good friend Tugg encourages her along the way.

If you have a beginning reader in your house, I’d recommend that you get a copy of Tugg and Teeny. This book has beautiful, warm illustrations throughout, and the text is the perfect size for a beginning reader. There is also plenty of white space, so new readers won’t be overwhelmed by the amount of words on a page. Add to these things the sweet and encouraging storyline, and your new reader is bound to enjoy Tugg and Teeny.