A canine tale offers an exuberant reminder that winners come in all shapes and sizes (and should never listen to naysayers).
Based on a beloved dog’s true story, this debut picture book celebrates hard work and determination.
Originally from Denmark, Soren the French bulldog is adopted by a kind American woman named Deb. Soren dreams about becoming a show dog; unfortunately, he grows too large to compete in his category. Then one day, Deb notices he jumps quite high, so she thinks he can enter agility contests instead. To begin training, Deb takes Soren to a special park with planks, tunnels, jumps, and weave poles. After months of practice, Soren and Deb attend agility trials, where a couple of rude folks scoff that a Frenchie can never prevail because of his large head and short legs. Undeterred by these judgmental individuals, Soren continues to prepare, even running through tricky weave poles, which is the most difficult maneuver for him. With much effort and an indomitable spirit, Soren eventually becomes the first French bulldog to ever win a Master Agility Championship. Told from Soren’s point of view, the story features kindly Deb, with “wild, curly hair,” as the main human character and effectively emphasizes Soren’s devotion to her. Playful and often humorous, Soren’s voice should appeal to a wide array of primary school kids (Stevenson’s work is aimed at ages 5 to 8). In one amusing part, the bulldog’s excitement wreaks havoc with his tummy: “Deb’s eyes got wide and she blurted out, ‘Uh oh. Soren, noooo!’ But before I could stop it…blarrgh! I threw up—right on Deb!” Spicer’s (Sashi and the Puppy Mill Girl, 2016, etc.) bold color illustrations are eye-catching and complement the exultant message; for example, gleeful Soren flies in the volume’s margins with winged pigs because critics said a Frenchie would claim victory “when pigs fly.” (The small human cast, however, lacks diversity.) Reminiscent of a cute Disney character, Soren has huge adorable, expressive eyes, lending a classic feel. A compelling close-up of bug-eyed Soren as he makes the triumphant jump takes up two pages—requiring the book to be turned for optimal viewing—and adds vivid excitement to a jubilant climax.
A canine tale offers an exuberant reminder that winners come in all shapes and sizes (and should never listen to naysayers).Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9973020-4-2
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Aperture
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
