The adage "you are what you eat" is only too true in Martha's case. After innocently consuming some alphabet soup, Martha the dog is transformed into a talking canine when the letters from her meal travel to her brain instead of to her stomach. Her human family is delighted at first, as the two species exchange all types of never before shared information, but soon Martha's incessant gift of gab proves annoying. Crushed by her owners' disapproval, Martha takes a vow of silence, until the day her unique ability makes her an unexpected heroine. An unremarkable-appearing family pet, Martha's transformation into Superdog is described in a sophisticated text, humorously augmented with simple illustrations. (Ages 4-8)