Readers will enjoy going to the dogs with this one.
The start of a beautiful canine friendship.
Brown, shaggy Doggo seems content with his “same old, same old,” “could have been worse” daily existence. His pal Cat keeps him company, and he stays busy with numerous jobs around the house. Though he’s sometimes nostalgic for the good old days when he was livelier and something of a risk taker, he tells himself he’s “happy enough.” The humans believe Doggo’s life needs shaking up, however. Cat agrees and points out the humans have an idea in mind. That jolt comes in the form of a rascally newcomer—rambunctious, reddish-brown Pupper. Seemingly nonstop activity and downright peskiness ensue. As a result, the humans develop another idea—charm school, which changes Pupper’s personality for the better—or does it? In fact, Pupper becomes so charmed that his demeanor changes. He’s not the high-spirited, nonstop-yapping firecracker of yore and settles into “same old, same old” routines himself, leading Doggo to take matters into his own paws and devise some clever ideas to shift the dynamic. This sweet, seven-chapter early-reader series opener employs simple language, with several short sentences per page and lots of dialogue, to bring these close friends and their fun adventures to endearing life; young readers will be charmed. The colorful illustrations that combine collage and digital techniques are lively and expressive. Though human faces aren’t seen, Doggo’s owners appear to be light-skinned.
Readers will enjoy going to the dogs with this one. (tips on puppies’ personalities, habits, and care) (Chapter book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-62097-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends
Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
A much-needed reminder that kindness will always win out.
Teachers influence children profoundly.
From earliest childhood, Lila Greer, the youngest of five in a single-dad household, has been a worrier. Then the family moves. Entering second grade feels overwhelming: Nothing’s familiar, and she has no friends. But Ms. Kern, Lila’s new teacher, invites Lila to erase the chalkboard at recess and to articulate her fears. It helps that someone listens. Soon, classmates get into the act, and lonely Lila makes friends, emerges from her shell, and learns that “what ifs” have positive sides. Lila grows up, still fretting sometimes, and then becomes a new teacher who worries upon meeting her own students. But then she remembers the teacher who helped her overcome her fears and doubts years earlier. What was that marvelous, ineffable quality Ms. Kern possessed? Then Lila remembers: It was kindness! Harnessing that memory, Lila now welcomes her own “smiling young faces.” This is a sweet story that emphasizes good cheer, helpfulness, and the importance of feeling welcome and heard, no matter who you are: terrific messages, expressed in bouncy verses that scan well. The illustrations are colorfully lively. Readers will appreciate occasional displays of humorous and quirky typesetting creativity and will admire Lila’s poufy topknot, which resembles a huge ball of yarn. Lila is light-skinned, Ms. Kern is tan-skinned, and other characters are diverse.
A much-needed reminder that kindness will always win out. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781419769047
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
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