FRENCHIES HIGH AND LOW

Another dog-themed concept book from Calmenson and Hibbert, this time focusing on opposites and French bulldogs.

A cream-colored Frenchie peacefully slumbers until he hears a particular tune and awakens with a start. The rest of the book follows him and lots of other French bulldogs as they home in on the source: an ice cream truck with free doggy treats. Their journey is filled with opportunities to learn about opposites: in-out, under-over, down-up, and high-low, to name a few. But not all these examples are well defined in the illustrations. The words “A few Frenchies follow. Then many come along” are presented on a spread with eight dogs following the sound, three roughly on the left, five toward the right. All the text is on the left, however, making it tricky for youngsters to draw a distinction between the pair. On another spread, we’re told that “running made the Frenchies hot,” but “cold doggy ice cream hits the spot.” The illustrations just show them all digging in, nothing suggesting that the animals are hot. Calmenson’s word choices are geared toward the rhymes, and the rhythm is punchy throughout. The humans depicted vary in skin tone. The backmatter stresses that French bulldogs don’t swim well, details the colors and markings of the canines in the book, and includes a picture of the real-life inspirations for the story.

Will elicit smiles from Frenchie lovers but may stymie youngsters learning about opposites.