Tender, joyous, and altogether wonderful.
Love and trust abound between a patient, old family dog and a very young baby.
The kitchen floor is the old dog’s place of comfort. But here comes the crawling baby, and it’s playtime. Giggling, poking, rolling, and sharing lots of sloppy kisses, they have a wonderful time. All that activity wears them out, and they snuggle together for a much-needed nap right there under the kitchen table. Fogliano chooses words with great care, creating the sparest of text to form very brief lines of verse in the immediate present tense that describe “old dog” and “baby baby” and their every action and the sounds they make, employing a fast-paced, bouncy, singsong beat. The nearly black, very large type is set against a stark white background, surrounded by brightly hued illustrations in Raschka’s signature style. The blond, chubby, rosy-cheeked, white baby and the gray-and-white furry dog are evoked in soft, thick outline, their movements and emotions effortlessly expressed. Furniture and household items are sharply defined, giving dimension to the setting. Glimpses of mother and big sister as they peruse a photo album and lovingly observe the baby and dog add layers and richness to the proceedings. Text and pictures are seamlessly complementary and interdependent, and little ones and their grown-ups will laugh with delight.
Tender, joyous, and altogether wonderful. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-59643-853-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
Appealing but not saccharine.
A kitten and cat parent explore the concept of home and their close relationship.
“What is it that makes our house / a special place to be? / Let’s think about this place called home / and maybe we will see.” Their house is a place to snuggle and to be themselves. They leave for adventures (through the cat door) but always return home. Their house is where their good stuff is and where they play and snooze. During scary storms, it’s the place they feel safe and dry and warm. Though the parent kitty may need to be away sometimes, home is where the kitten can wait for the parent to return. “So this I will remember / my whole life through: / Home is where the heart is… / and my heart is with you!” With this small volume, Dodd adds another sweet, simple, and short title to her list of picture books in which adorable animals stand in for humans and impart reassuring sentiments. Her smudgy-lined art features a huggable duo of smiling kitties just being cats in a clean, pink house that’s clearly inhabited by humans, though none ever appear. Though it’s unquestionably sentimental, Dodd keeps it just this side of syrupy. Toddlers, whether cat lovers or no, will identify with the small, white kitten.
Appealing but not saccharine. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: July 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1712-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Templar/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
A sweet, simple story with a nicely offbeat heroine.
All the animals are welcome to come aboard.
Hedgehog seems very lonely, “curled up in a prickly little ball in a lonely little nook of a lonely little tree.” When she overhears a sympathetic conversation about friendship “out there,” she perks up, picturing a beautiful “Friend Ship.” Hedgehog sets sail with a curious beaver in a small boat to find it. Before long, the duo spots a herd of migrating deer on the shore. Hedgehog asks if they’ve seen the Friend Ship; all reply that they could use a friend and hop aboard. Next, the company spies a rat, who asks to join them. They sail in multiple directions to no avail. Hedgehog begins to lose hope, but her companions convince her to persist. She spots a small island, its only resident an elephant. Hedgehog swims the distance and asks the elephant about the Friend Ship. The elephant points at Hedgehog’s small boat full of animals and asks, “Isn’t that it—right over there?” It’s a lightning-bolt moment. Hedgehog invites the elephant aboard, and they sail west, celebrating all the while…into the sunset together. Yeh makes effective use of dialogue and repetition, investing her characters with personality with just a few lines. Groenink employs sunny, warm hues that increase in saturation as the boat fills and Hedgehog becomes surrounded by friends.
A sweet, simple story with a nicely offbeat heroine. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-0726-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
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