The skillful blend of human and canine characteristics in this romp will make for many a chuckle.
In a city populated entirely by dogs of all breeds—pups are in collars, but all adult dogs are in human clothes—one youngster who must have some beagle in him has an adventure when he wanders away from his mother and his two friends at a department store.
The whimsical, cartoonish dogs bustle around one another against a detailed urban environment rendered in ink and colorful watercolor. It’s an enjoyable romp, with simple, well-paced text. Before Rusty’s group of canines enters the department store—adorned with plaster bone-and-heart motifs over the doors—Mother reminds her charges of a safety rule. “ ‘It’s very busy inside,’ she says. ‘So what do we do?’ ‘We all stay together!’ chant Rusty, Henrietta, and Toby.” Rusty’s nose, however, soon lures him to the fourth floor, where a lady dog in an apron is demonstrating a dog-biscuit machine for “picky guests and hungry pups.” Rusty realizes he is lost at the same time that he overhears two watchdogs, with fierce-looking uniforms and menacing equipment, discussing their plan to catch stray pups and literally impound them. After fleeing through a marvelous labyrinth of ventilation pipes, Rusty hides in various departments—in plain view to astute readers—until a salesperson observes, “I’m sure we don’t have a lamp in our collection with hairy feet.”
The skillful blend of human and canine characteristics in this romp will make for many a chuckle. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-927271-45-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2015
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.
Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!
Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781454999621
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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