dogs

Dog Loves Books

| Tasha

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Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates

Dog loves everything about books.  He loves their smell, their feel.  In fact, he loved them enough to open a bookstore.  He worked hard to prepare for the Grand Opening, but when he threw the door open no one was there.  Some people do come in, but they aren’t interested in buying books.  Dog was all alone with his books.  So what’s a Dog to do?  Read the books to pass the time!  So he doesn’t even notice that he’s alone anymore, but when a real customer is ready to buy a book, he is more than ready.

Yates has created a simple but spirited picture book that captures the love of books perfectly.  Her writing is brief and child-friendly, telling a complete tale in just a few words.  Her illustrations tell the rest of the story, including the mood of Dog who moves from great exuberance to near despair, his posture along showing his emotions. Nicely, the moments that Dog loses himself in stories are shown in double-page spreads with full backgrounds while the real life moments are shown in rounded illustrations with white space surrounding them.  This change again demonstrates the appeal of reading without ever becoming didactic about it.

A simple and cheerful book, this is one to add to your own book pile and share with other book lovers.   Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.

Also reviewed by:

The Blue House Dog – A Gentle Heart-Felt Read

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The Blue House Dog by Deborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Adam Gustavson

After Bones’ owner dies, he is left to fend for himself on the streets.  He sleeps under bushes, avoids the cars driving around, and forages for food.  Cody, a boy in the neighborhood who recently lost his own dog, notices Bones wandering around and feeds him scraps.  But Bones is very skittish and shy.  Slowly Cody begins to be able to touch Bones, then works day after day to get Bones to enter the house.  Slowly Bones begins to bond with this new human, trust and friendship blooming like the daffodils at his old house. 

Blumenthal has created a gentle story that will work its way into your heart.  It is written with a tenderness that is apparent throughout.  There are moments where the feeling of loss is very strong, others where the moments of connection are impressive.  This is a book that brings emotions up, yet never becomes too overly negative for young sensitive children.

Gustavson’s illustrations are done in oil.  They have a lovely velvety texture and rich colors.  He has nicely chosen the best moments of the text, where the emotion is highest, where the tension of the building friendship is evident.  His illustrations use changing perspectives to show us what is happening with a welcome clarity.

A gentle and profound story of a boy finding his dog.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Peachtree.

Pantaloon

| Tasha

Pantaloon by Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Steven Salerno

A re-illustrated classic Golden Book that was first published in 1951, this book gets a charming new look.  Pantaloon is a dog that loves to eat baked goods.  So when a job opens at his local bakery, Pantaloon thinks he will be perfect for it.  But the baker doesn’t.  He thinks that Pantaloon will eat more than he bakes.  Pantaloon even tries a disguise to get the job, but he’s discovered.  While Pantaloon is in the barber shop getting his hair cut and trying to come up with his next plan, the baker heads out for more sugar.  Unfortunately, he trips over Pantaloon’s bicycle on the way and ends up in bed.  Pantaloon eagerly steps in and ices the cakes and delivers all of the goodies to customers.  What will the baker say when he returns?

Jackson’s text has an old-fashioned feel to it.  It has very nice repeating lines that really tie the piece together.  Pantaloon yearns for baked goods in a series of lines and the goodies at the bakery are listed in a winning way each time they are featured.  Salerno’s illustrations have a retro feel to them, nicely complementing the feel of the text.  His use of bright colors makes the book feel fresh and vibrant.

A very nice read aloud for food or dog story times, this is a retro sugar-rush of a book.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by:

Also check out the images on Steven Salerno’s blog of the old and new versions.

Funny Lunch

| Tasha

Funny Lunch by David Catrow

This second Max Spaniel book offers mayhem and fun with a pizza theme.  Max is not a dog, he is a chef!  He and his cat friend have a restaurant where they serve pizzas.  When one customer refuses the special and orders chili instead, he is given a scarf, hat and mittens.  When another orders a hot dog, a panting dog with a fan is served.  Trouble arrives by bus with an order of 100 pizzas with everything!  Max cannot make pizzas that fast and ends up with a mess instead.  Luckily great pizza is only a phone call away.  Even better, Max got to enjoy the pizza too.

Catrow successfully mixes very simple beginner reader words with pictured filled with funny details and merriment.  The jokes are classic and there are some that only those looking at the pictures will find.  Catrow’s watercolor illustrations ooze giggles and laughs as well as pizza sauce and cheese.  They add another dimension of fun to the book.  The relationship between Max and his cat friend is a good one that plays out primarily in the illustrations. 

A frolic of an easy reader, this book will be enjoyed by young pizza and dog lovers.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Scholastic.

One Pup’s Up

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One Pup’s Up by Marsha Wilson Chall, illustrated by Henry Cole

Count along to ten with adorable puppies in this picture book.  It all starts when one puppy wakes up, then more puppies join in on the fun.  They tumble, roll, drink, piddle, chase, and much more.  Another puppy joins in the fray with each new activity until dinner time.  Then they slowly head to sleep, one at a time, counting down until they are all asleep.  Of course, then it starts again the second one pup is up.

A very simple premise and simply told story, this book is filled with toddler appeal.  The ease of the story along with its galloping rhyme and rhythm make it irresistible.  Chall’s grace with so few words is evident on each page, allowing the images to tell the story.  Cole’s puppies are playful balls of fun, that young readers will be drawn to and relate to.  The illustrations are wonderfully large and bright with plenty of white space, making them ideal for use with a group.

Get those toddlers counting with these puppies and be ready for giggles when the piddle line appears.  A delightful, light-hearted counting book appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from McElderry Books.

City Dog, Country Frog

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City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon J. Muth

I was a little concerned about a book by Willems that he didn’t illustrate himself, but I shouldn’t have.  This book is a rich exploration of friendship.  A dog who has never lived in the country before runs out through the fields and comes upon a frog sitting on a rock near the water.  The frog immediately invites the dog to be his friend and the two play frog games together that spring.  When summer comes, the dog and frog play city dog games together, including fetch.  In the fall, the frog is growing old and tired.  So the two play remembering games together, thinking of spring and summer and the games they played.  Then winter came and when the dog headed to the rock, the frog wasn’t there.  Then spring came again, and this time the dog was the one sitting on the rock waiting for a friend.  And guess who came?  A new and unexpected friend.

This book is about friendship, that deep and abiding type of friendship that is about connection.  It is also about loss and it captures it so vividly that children will immediately understand the gravity of winter and exactly what the dog is experiencing.  It is a very powerful moment, depicted in deep blues of winter cold and silence in the text.  Beautifully captured.  At the same time though, it is a book about friendship continuing, new friends arriving, and the ability to move on and resume.  Willem’s language is simple and adept, he says things is so few words yet captures feelings perfectly.  Muth’s illustrations really capture the seasons. One can almost smell the grass of spring, the autumn leaves, and the crisp snowy air.  He also imbues the animals’ faces with deep emotions yet makes sure that they are still dogs and frogs. 

Highly recommended, this pairing of author and illustrator has created an amazing story that is deep and moving.  Appropriate for ages 4-8.  Make sure when you share this with a child that there is time to talk afterwards, it is sure to start a conversation.

Reviewed from library copy.

Check out the trailer that Mo Willems created for the book:

Also reviewed by:

Please Take Me for a Walk

| Tasha

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.

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A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose

| Tasha

A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, illustrated by Linzie Hunter

Amelia wants a dog, specifically a small brown dog with a wet pink nose.  But her parents don’t think they are ready for a dog.  At first, Amelia tries begging every day.  When that doesn’t work, she begins to ask different questions.  What could the dog’s name be?  Where would he live?  If he got lost would they look for him? Could Amelia walk and feed him herself?  A few days later, Amelia imagines that she has a dog like the one she dreams of.  She makes sure he can’t escape out the door, plays with him every day, and is warmed by him at night.  That is until the morning she wakes up and he is missing.  Now her parents had assured her that if they did have a dog, they would search for him if he got lost.  So off they go.  Will they find him?

Amelia’s actions in the book could be seen as manipulative, except she shows real emotion when she is imagining her dog and when he is lost.  I read it as a strong wish turned into a pretend dog that becomes real to her.  Stuve-Bodeen’s writing is simple and offers repetitive elements that will work well for sharing aloud.  Hunter’s art is filled with details that make this a book best shared one-on-one or with a small group.  Done digitally, it exudes a warmth and friendliness throughout. 

A crash course in advertising and PR, and imagination, this book is sure to be a hit with children who think they need a dog in their house too. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by A Year of Reading and What’s Carol Reading?

Rita and Whatsit

| Tasha

 

Rita and Whatsit by Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod, illustrated by Olivier Tallec

Rita and Whatsit at the Beach by Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod, illustrated by Olivier Tallec

Rita is grumpy even though it’s her birthday.  She has stacks of presents but everything is wrong: too small, too big, too medium.  Then she sees a present that is wiggling.  She tries to open it and it runs away.  When she catches and opens it a dog peeks out.  Most readers expect a squeal of joy at this point.  Nope.  Instead she bellows at him, makes demands and continues her grump.  It isn’t until she runs through a list of possible horrid names for him that she begins to smile and Whatsit starts to talk to her.  The first book ends with them becoming friends.

The second book has Rita and Whatsit at the beach each with their own idea of what a perfect day at the beach is.  They end up playing a game of pretend together that involves all of their favorite things like sandcastles, floating in the water and ends with Whatsit getting all of the sweet, sticky stuff he’s been wanting. 

Both books offer a different kind of child than many other books.  Rita is demanding, difficult, and wonderful.  She threatens to change Whatsit’s name regularly, shouts loudly, but loves just as deeply.  It is a pleasure to see a child that is a mix of negative and positive shown with such obvious pleasure.

Tallec’s art is simple and small, perfect for sharing with a small group or one-on-one.  His use of simple lines and bursts of color make the book friendly and almost like a cartoon strip in style. 

Share this with any little drama queens you might live with.  Some of us grow up to be librarians after all!  ;)  Appropriate for ages 2-4.