All a-wag with charming tails.
The many tails of dogs are celebrated in this ode to canine rear appendages.
“Every dog has a tail. // Every tail has a tale to tell. / Or smell.” So begins a tale of tails featuring dogs of varying breeds. Dachshunds, Dalmatians, pugs, and others are included as well as what appears to be mixed breeds. Sayegh describes these many tails with a focus on the unique qualities of each: “long,” “short and sweet,” “straight to the point,” “new,” “tried and true,” and more. All the dogs portrayed are cheerful canines (with the adorable detail of heart-shaped noses); there is nary a drooping tail to be seen, making this a very happy book. The dogs are often shown smelling one another’s bums, but this behavior is not explained. While it’s not quite accurate to assert that every time a dog “wiggles and wags” its tail it means, “I love you!” dog lovers will probably be willing to forgive this stretching of the truth in favor of admiring the many dogs presented and, of course, their lovely tails. Sayegh’s pups are gently stylized, and he incorporates patterns and textures into his collaged depictions. The Dalmatian’s spots have the look of marbled endpapers, a corgi’s brown fur looks like wood grain, and one poor pup’s protective lampshade collar looks like faded white clapboards.
All a-wag with charming tails. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-951836-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cameron + Company
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
“Piggies in the pumpkin patch / peek / and sneak, / under crinkly, / clean sheets, / over growing, / green beans, / behind snoring, sleepy sheep, / into the clover field.” Two curious piglets romp through the clover fields and across the barnyard. They play with cats and chase squirrels until they execute an accidental muddy slide into the bull’s pen: “Squeal!!” They take off, avoiding shrieking geese and spooky trees. They make it past stinging bees and back to the pumpkin patch where snoozing Mama pig awaits…after all that, it’s definitely naptime for all! Rofé’s first and Peterson’s first to co-write as well as illustrate will be a staple for piggie-themed storytimes. The pencil-and-paint illustrations are pudgy, whimsical, frenetic fun, rendered in a muted yellow, brown and green palette. The rhythmic text flows and twists following the oinking hijinks, each preposition nicely bolded. The fun continues on the endpapers, which map the porcine expedition from start to finish. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-57091-460-7
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Leave these penguins on the ice.
As the title implies, a counting book set at the zoo.
Starting with “ten playful penguins, living in the zoo,” forced rhymes count down in reverse as the penguins meet zoo animals: elephants, chimps, hippos, a bear, parrots, pandas, seals, and a zebra (unnamed but described as “stripy”). With each encounter, one stays to play with that animal. The penguins meet only eight animals, which may confuse some readers, as one remains in the rookery in order to prepare a feast because “she’s so good and kind!” (Really, the one who cooks is female?) The penguins are cute—raised plastic forms peeking through die-cut windows—but the slight story and cartoonish illustrations are trying too hard to match their appeal. The pictures add little new information, and the text attributes human characteristics to several of the animals. (Hippos don't take bubble baths.) The second couplet on each spread, “ ‘Penguins, stay and have some fun.’ / ‘Yes, please!’ says another one,” is meant to provide a predictable refrain but is wordy for young children and scans poorly for adults who must read this to them. The last page has the best illustrations, though why the penguins now sport hats and drink from stemware is unclear. Adding to the book’s woes, Arabic numerals are nowhere to be found.
Leave these penguins on the ice. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-79439-8
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
