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IT'S RAINING PUPS AND DOGS

Name: IT'S RAINING PUPS AND DOGS
Author: Jeanne Prevost
ISBN: 978-0-940719-16-3

by Jeanne Prevost ; illustrated by Amelia Hansen ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013

It’s a sensitive introduction to a difficult topic, but parents should be ready for difficult questions.

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An understanding dad shows his daughter why it’s best for their dog not to have puppies in this well-meaning, earnest story about pet overpopulation.

Lauren is an African-American girl about 11 or 12 years old who desperately wants her young female dog to have at least one litter of puppies. Her parents don’t agree, so Lauren is alternately sad and angry when her dog returns from surgery after being spayed. Lauren’s wise father first tells his daughter about the high number of unwanted dogs and then shows her by taking her to a dog shelter. The shelter attendant shows them long rows of appealing dogs waiting for adoption, and Lauren asks to volunteer at the shelter to play with the dogs. The text includes several vague references to dogs that are unadoptable due to their difficult previous circumstances and to dogs staying at the shelter “all their short lives,” but euthanasia is not explained within the story. A concluding note intended for parents and other adults gives information about unwanted dogs, euthanasia and puppy mills as well as additional sources.

It’s a sensitive introduction to a difficult topic, but parents should be ready for difficult questions. (author’s note, additional sources) (Informational picture book. 6-9)

Pub Date: May 14, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-940719-16-3

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Gryphon Press

Review Posted Online: March 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

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How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!

John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 21, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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GROWING HOME

by Beth Ferry ; illustrated by Eric Fan & Terry Fan ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2025

Charming.

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An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.

Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.

Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)