Where the rain falls and the wind howls, little Mucumber's stomach growls. But what can he do when there's nothing to chew, like apples or crackers or porridge or stew? But wait, a hot dog, albeit quite old . and wrinkled and lumpy and lonely and cold. We all know it's true, food is better when new. But if you were that hungry, what would you do? Originally published by HarperCollins in 2007 , The Half-Eaten Hot Dog is the first book in the Mucumber McGee series.