Percy doesn’t seem to have much of a destiny beyond chasing his favorite ball, but perhaps that is the point.
A black-and-white dog plays with his canine pals at a dog park, culminating in an encounter with a feisty, ball-stealing squirrel.
Percy is a bright-eyed dog of indeterminate breed, with a long, skinny tail and a black spot over one eye. He narrates the story with just a few words and a snappy attitude, using witty expressions such as “my little porkie pie” as a nickname for his beloved, special ball. (The genially archaic, repeated “What ho!” may raise more than a few eyebrows, given its unfortunate homonymic relationship to the modern slur.) Percy meets up with his three canine friends at the dog park, each having brought along a favorite toy. Molly is a standard poodle who carries a bandanna, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie is a dachshund with a Frisbee, and Fluffy is a huge, fierce-looking but gentle fellow toting a correspondingly huge bone. At the park, the dogs play together until a sassy squirrel faces off with Percy, trying to steal his ball. When the squirrel swipes Percy’s ball and then flings it from a tree, Fluffy solves the problem by leaping up to catch it. Minimalist, digitally produced illustrations use white backgrounds and a muted color palette to complement the sophisticated tone of the text. Percy’s long, pointed tail (presumably in perpetual motion) is frequently depicted as three distinct appendages; since there are no motion lines to help readers decode this, it appears that the dog is a tri-tailed anomaly.
Percy doesn’t seem to have much of a destiny beyond chasing his favorite ball, but perhaps that is the point. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-59078-984-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Dec. 20, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017
Take strength from the dreamers before you and follow your dreams. Or maybe just roll the dice.
Is it a book about aspirations or the backstory for the board game?
Chickapig is defined as “an animal hybrid that is half-chicken and half-pig” and is depicted in yellow, two-legged chick shape with pink pig snout and ears. Young Joe Chickapig lives on a farm that was his grandfather’s dream, but it’s getting Joe down. He dreams of adventure but needs the “courage to follow his heart. / But how could he do it? How could he start?” In a bedtime story, Joe’s mother shares the influential characters that helped Joe’s sailor grandfather “follow his heart against the tide.” It seems that “Grandpa had heard a story told / Of a great big bear who broke the mold. / The bear was tired of striking fear”—so he became a forest doctor and a friend to all. And the bear’s inspiration? “A mouse who went to space.” The mouse, in turn, found hope in a “fierce young dragon” who joined a rock band. And coming full circle, the dragon found courage from a Chickapig warrior who “tired of shields and swords to wield” and established a farm. Chickapig game fans will appreciate this fanciful rhyming tale illustrated in attention-grabbing colors, but readers coming to it cold will note a distinct absence of plot. Mouse and dragon present female; all others are male.
Take strength from the dreamers before you and follow your dreams. Or maybe just roll the dice. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7944-4452-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Printers Row
Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
Young readers will be pulled in by this humorous charmer.
Even helpers need help sometimes.
Toad’s job as a tow truck driver is so hectic that he doesn’t have time to eat the breakfast his dad’s prepared. “No time, Pop! Can’t stop!” Toad calls, racing out the door. Toad gets caught in heavy traffic as other animals race to their destinations. When one of them breaks down, “that’s where Toad comes in,” giving the beleaguered driver and the car a lift and tow, respectively. “I’m happy to help!” he announces. Caring Dad’s on the scene again, bringing Toad lunch. Toad’s response? “No time, Pop! Can’t stop!” As the day wears on, vehicular mishaps continue. Toad “answers the call” and “tows them all.” Then—uh-oh—his own truck goes kaput! Worse yet, he can’t fix it. What’s a tow truck driver to do when he needs a tow truck driver? Who’s Toad gonna call? Would you believe a great helper—Dad, a tow truck driver himself—comes to the rescue? Back at the family business’s garage, Toad finally finds time to eat. This rollicking story “tows” kids along with its fast-paced humor; its message that everyone occasionally needs assistance will resonate. The clipped text, heightening the sense of on-the-go movement, is comprised of brief sentences and phrases that use basic phonemic elements, making this funny, sweet tale a fine choice for emergent readers. The comical digital illustrations, featuring an all-animal cast, incorporate onomatopoeic sound effects.
Young readers will be pulled in by this humorous charmer. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781774883488
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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