If you know Poodle, the chicken-protagonist of Michael Clay Thompson’s beloved Poodle language arts books, then you do know What?. He’s a beagle, and he’s Poodle’s best friend.

Poodle and What?, along with Sidney (the world’s fastest snail), Maybe, Dickinson, Burgull, and a few new characters—including a new monster—are all back for another adventure in the fourth installment of the Poodle series. The book is nearing completion and will be available soon!

Like Books 1 and 2 in the series, this book deals with grammar. (Book 3 covers poetics—the sounds of language.) This time the characters are examining phrases, specifically prepositional phrases, but they’re also doing what Poodle and What? and Sidney do best: they’re exploring the landscape of their world, while at the same time exploring the landscape of language and all of the ways in which words help us to express the very stuff that makes us human. Or chicken. Or beagle or snail or mouse or monster.

But language can only do that if we understand how to use it correctly. Kids who read the Poodle books hardly know that they’re embarking on a language arts journey that will last them a lifetime because the books are so profoundly wonderful. Michael Clay Thompson is a master storyteller and a genius with wordplay, and the newest installment is no exception. Artist Christopher Tice is back too, with more gorgeous illustrations to bring the story to life on every page. And best of all, like all of the other books that make up the Preliminary Level of the MCT language arts curriculum, Michael narrates this book so that, using simple QR codes and a smartphone, readers can hear the story in his authentic voice.

This book is both deep learning and great fun, and we couldn’t be more excited to launch it. We’ll send out another announcement when it’s ready. Until then, peace, love, and Poodle.