Toby is a pleasing pup, but his story doesn’t stand out from the crowded pack of dog tales.
A timid rescue dog learns to get along with his new owners, a lonely boy and his single dad.
When the unnamed narrator and his father move into a new house together, the boy finds a notice from an animal-rescue agency and asks if he can adopt a dog. At the shelter, the boy chooses Toby, a shy, midsized dog with fluffy, white fur. At first Toby is shy and withdrawn, but he gradually learns to like the boy and play with him. The untrained dog then begins to get in trouble around the house, including chewing the dad’s glasses, leading to the dad’s suggestion that the dog might need to be returned to the shelter. The boy swiftly trains Toby to obey basic commands, and in the conclusion, Toby redeems himself by finding the boy’s missing shoe. While the dog is an appealing character and the bonding of child and canine is heartwarming, Toby’s obedience training is unrealistically quick, and the lack of guidance and participation by the father in the dog’s integration into the family is distressing. Subdued illustrations in pencil and watercolor wash project a melancholy air suited to the somewhat sad little boy, who clearly needs the unquestioning love and companionship of his new pet. The main characters and a neighbor girl are all white, with a dark-skinned mother and daughter shown with their two dogs in a park scene on the final endpapers.
Toby is a pleasing pup, but his story doesn’t stand out from the crowded pack of dog tales. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-8093-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
A thoughtful role model for aspiring inventors.
In this collaboration from mother/daughter duo Corrigan and Corrigan Lichty, a youngster longs to quit the soccer team so she can continue dreaming up more inventions.
Marianne, a snazzily dressed young maker with tan skin, polka-dot glasses, and reddish-brown hair in two buns, feels out of place on the pitch. Her soccer-loving dad signed her up for the team, but she’d much rather be home tinkering and creating. One day she feigns illness to get out of practice (relying on a trick she learned from the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and uses her newfound time to create a flying machine made from bath towels, umbrellas, cans, and more. Eventually, her dad catches wind of her deception, and she tells him she prefers inventing to playing soccer. Immediately supportive, he plops a pot on his head and becomes Marianne’s tinkering apprentice. Told in lilting rhymes, the story resolves its conflicts rather speedily (Marianne confesses to hating soccer in one swift line). Though the text is wordy at times, it’s quite jaunty, and adults (and retro-loving kids) will chuckle at the ’80s references, from the Ferris Bueller and Dirty Dancing movie posters in Marianne’s room to the name of her dog, Patrick Swayze. True to Marianne’s creative nature, Sweetland surrounds her with lots of clutter and scraps, as well as plenty of bits and bobs. One never knows where inspiration will strike next.
A thoughtful role model for aspiring inventors. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593206096
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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