The latest in this popular series is in a larger format that generously accommodates an outdoor setting and a new character: a puppy who joins canine babysitter Carl and his small human charge on the merry-go-round, digging in a flower bed, sharing an ice cream, calling at the zoo, etc.; the original duo even poses for a painting club whose members represent them in several recognizable styles. The dogs are as charmingly true to life as ever, while the fantasy will beguile fans and worry a few literal-minded caregivers. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-374-31109-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1991
Rosalba imagines how the grandmother who takes her to the park might soar with her over the city (New York), sharing the sights. Since ``Abuela'' speaks ``mostly Spanish,'' Rosalba mentions many Spanish words for what they see, and in their conversations. Though the storyline here is slight, the relationship glows with affection; the Spanish vocabulary is well integrated and clear in context. Kleven's illustrations—jewel- like collages of sparkling images and patterns, crammed with intriguing details—effectively transmit Rosalba's joy in her narrative. Pronouncing glossary. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-525-44750-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1991
Give this child’s-eye view of a day at the beach with an attentive father high marks for coziness: “When your ball blows across the sand and into the ocean and starts to drift away, your daddy could say, Didn’t I tell you not to play too close to the waves? But he doesn’t. He wades out into the cold water. And he brings your ball back to the beach and plays roll and catch with you.” Alley depicts a moppet and her relaxed-looking dad (to all appearances a single parent) in informally drawn beach and domestic settings: playing together, snuggling up on the sofa and finally hugging each other goodnight. The third-person voice is a bit distancing, but it makes the togetherness less treacly, and Dad’s mix of love and competence is less insulting, to parents and children both, than Douglas Wood’s What Dads Can’t Do (2000), illus by Doug Cushman. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 23, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-00361-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
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