ARCHIE'S VACATION

Archie, that styling, designing dog, is back, this time preparing for a little holiday (Archie, 2012).

At the beginning of this nearly wordless book, readers see big dog Archie and his terrier buddy start to pack. Clothing goes in first. A nap brings on inevitable dreams—of bad weather, hunger, illness, sports—which then leads to the bane of travelers (and their suitcases) everywhere: overpacking. How will the ice cream, clothing, vitamins, goggles, windbreaker and everything else find a spot? The handwritten text includes even more: “Shark cage! Submarine? Blow-up Loch Ness Monster.” A double gatefold opens to the sight of everything, from Thermos to wellies to sunscreen bursting out of the suitcase in one dramatic BANG! This leaves Archie with a brilliant idea: just put on layer after layer, fill his yellow, many-pocketed trench coat and head to the beach with suitcase safely closed. There is not much plot here, but there is lots of action and humor. The terrier watches Archie with interest and joins human readers in seeing the silliness of Archie’s predicament. After all, all the little pup needs is a ball. Judging from the final picture, both dogs have all they need.

Dog lovers, travelers and fans of Gordon’s felted animals will find this amusing. Bon voyage! (Picture book. 2-5)