TUCKER FLIPS

A small, artless introduction to a terrier with an independent spirit. As soon as he’s old enough to leave his cozy bed, Tucker displays the urge for adventure, learning how to balance on a skateboard, dive off the sofa, and dig deep holes in the snow—all skills that come in handy one winter day when he jumps onto a sled. Down the slope it careens, coming to an abrupt stop that sends him looping into a snow bank. Up rushes a child to cuddle him, followed by his siblings and worried mother. Through it all, Tucker shows not a trace of fear, though he does enjoy all the subsequent attention. With pictures that rival Sandra Boynton’s for clean-lined simplicity, and a text that is not cut down to bare description, this book, similar to John Schoenherr’s Rebel (1995), gives children who are ready for the first step of adventure some reassurance that they won’t be left out in the cold. (Picture book. 3-5)