Poster puppy for cluelessness, a small dog with a white patch on one eye wakes up one morning dismayed to discover his name, collar, and entire life misplaced. Off he charges on a true journey of self-discovery. Though a series of canine acquaintances cumulatively fill in some of the gaps—“ ‘You are a small brown dog with a pink nose who likes splashing in puddles’ ”—his name remains a mystery. Aside from frequent appearances by a tiny blue mouse, it's a dog’s world in Nascimbeni’s (What If?, 1999, etc.) loopy, spacious cartoons, composed along canted planes using just a few vigorously brushed colors and the occasional bit of patterned material or newsprint. With each encounter, Small Brown Dog fills out as a character for readers as well as himself, and by the time he’s tracked down both collar and name (“ ‘Patch!’ ”), he will seem as familiar as any real pet. He’s not the only forgetful character in a children’s book, but he is the most engagingly doggy one, and his plight may make children—not to mention parents—feel better about their own “senior moments.” (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-525-46397-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
In this entry in the First Choice Chapter Book series, Willie is the reigning knock-knock king. Last year he knew all the best jokes. This year, though, Crow threatens to usurp his title. Willie isn't worried, for he has a secret weapon—a book of knock-knock jokes. But when he opens his backpack, the book is missing. What has Crow done with it? Crow will only talk in jokes, so most of the communication comes in the form of knock- knock variations, including the clues he leaves as to the book's whereabouts. On the last day of camp, Willie and his friend Slug piece together the clues' common thread—the word trunk—and find the book on top of a neatly folded stack of clean clothes in Willie's footlocker. That means Willie hasn't changed clothes all week, so everybody pitches in to get them dirty before his mother arrives. This is a lightweight work from Duffey (Virtual Cody, p. 799, etc.), but it's neatly plotted and cleverly written. The full-color cartoons provide visual clues for readers and help further smooth the path to independent reading. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: July 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-385-32301-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1997
Ignoring everyone's skepticism, Alison is sure that ``girl wings'' are about to poke out of her shoulder bumps. They do, sort of, but only when she's asleep. This entry in the Chapters series is simply and sparely written, but the episodes too often have disappointing outcomes. Brother Mike tells Alison to try flying off the porch; he amuses himself but all she gets is a bandaged knee. A playmate seems to share Alison's dream of flight, but gives up easily. Her parents surprise her with an airplane ride; she suffers through it silently and then smiles politely afterward. In the most satisfying chapter, Grandpa installs ``the nicest swing in the world'' on top of a hill: ``Here you are. Wings for a girl.'' But Alison will accept no substitutes, and the book ends much as it began, as she sinks into a nighttime dream of flying. Well-crafted, but prosaic and downbeat. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 22, 1996
ISBN: 0-7868-0105-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1996
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