Kirkus Reviews QR Code
NO ROOM FOR A PUP! by Elizabeth  Suneby

NO ROOM FOR A PUP!

by Elizabeth Suneby & Laurel Molk ; illustrated by Laurel Molk

Pub Date: Oct. 1st, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0029-5
Publisher: Kids Can

At least when it comes to puppies, there’s always room for one more.

Mia lives in a tiny apartment in a big city. One day, she and her grandmother visit a neighbor who’s giving away puppies. Mia immediately falls in love with a little pup that has white fur and black spots. Despite her mother’s assertions that there is “NO ROOM” for even “one pint-sized pup,” Mia comes up with a mischievous plan. With the help of her grandmother and fellow neighbors, Mia fills the small apartment with all sorts of animals, including Roger the parrot, Sprinkles the bunny, and Tigger the kitty. In a whirlwind of mayhem, humor, and alliteration, Mia’s many guests nearly destroy the apartment, but when they leave, her mother admits that their space “doesn’t feel so small anymore.” Seeing Mia’s clever plan unfold and the chaos that ensues is sure to entertain. In this spin on a Yiddish folktale about appreciating what one has, diversity abounds, with Mia and her family depicted with brown skin and dark hair while their neighbors are of varying ages and races. Molk’s soft yet expressive watercolor illustrations wonderfully complement her and Suneby’s story and bring all characters, both human and non-, to life. A final, wordless page showing Mia curled up with her now-grown Great Dane offers a humorous and satisfying coda.

Perfect for young ones yearning for a pet.

(Picture book. 4-7)