A dog set free to run and roam in a dog park uncovers an archeological surprise.
In a manner reminiscent of a Dick and Jane reader, Meisel begins his minimal, patterned text with the simple and repetitive “See me run. / I run and run.” Hearing the story from the dog’s point of view, newly minted readers will work through each page’s basic sentence structure with plenty of opportunity to decipher the story’s action through words and pictures. Several word-family patterns are incorporated as the star pooch of this canine adventure leads a group of romping dogs across a great lawn: “Will they get me? / No, no, no! / We go and go,” through a large mud puddle. Finally, they pursue some serious digging: “We dig and dig and dig and dig. // What is this? // It is big.” A large dinosaur skeleton rises and gives chase, resulting in dogs frantically running once again. Cartoon drawings done in acrylic ink, pen and colored pencils offer a variety of dog breeds; eyes are wide and tongues hang out in their expressive faces as they frolic through the pale green, grassy park.
Formatted in a larger trim than the usual early reader, this imaginary rumpus is just right for beginners to successfully read and reread. (Early reader. 5-7)
