Please Take Me for a Walk by Susan Gal

One look into the begging eyes of this white and black puppy, and you will eagerly agree to take him for a walk.  The puppy explains throughout the book why he needs to go for a walk.  There are cats to chase, birds to bark at, squirrels to keep in the trees.  There are people to greet, games to watch, and games to play.  Best of all, there are other dogs to meet too!

This is a simple book with a simple premise, which is a large part of its appeal.  Gal uses only a handful of words per page, stretching sentences over the course of several pages to show just what the dog has in mind for his walk.  This means lots of pictures for the number of words, making it very toddler friendly. 

It is Gal’s art that really elevates the title.  As you can see from the cover art, the dog is a winning character with shining eyes, plenty of energy, and lots of friends.  Done in charcoal on paper and digital collage, Gal’s art ranges from simple close-ups of the dog on a plain background to busy city streets with dogs and people coming and going. 

Get ready to go on a merry walk with this dog tale, which will fit easily into a toddler storytime about pets or dogs.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.

Also reviewed by Young Readers.