The adventures of Arthur Dog—mild-mannered guard at the Dogopolis Museum of Art by day, mural-painting superhero by night- -who is mistakenly apprehended when the Mona Woofa is stolen from the museum; he paints his way out of prison and succeeds in catching the crooks in his improvised Brushmobile. The grateful museum director offers Art Dog a one-man show, during which the artist unveils his masterpiece: He paints the sky into a ``Starry Night'' look-alike. In addition to its comic-book birthright, this tale recalls Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon (1958) and Jon Agee's The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau (1988) while paying homage to several of art's masters: The paintings in the museum are fully recognizable to readers, with dogs substituted for people; among them the artists are Vincent Van Dog and Henri Muttisse. Hurd (Tomato Soup, 1992, etc.) employs a disarming, deliberately slapdash style, blazing a trail of scrawled charm across the streets and skies of Gotham; Art Dog is a superhero for all times. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 29, 1996
ISBN: 0-06-024424-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1995
A cheery story that “wool” likely evoke some smiles.
A “baa”-nd of pirates gets the wool pulled over their eyes.
After a treasure-hunting foray, Captain Hoof and his crew of fleecy sheep are homeward bound with a glittery bounty—the lost Golden Shears, which once belonged to the infamous Woolly Jones. Suddenly, huge waves engulf and smash their ship. They’re sheepwrecked and stranded on Foggy Island, home to none other than Woolly Jones. After nearly a month of failed attempts to get off the island, Captain Hoof decides to return the shears to their rightful owner. Trekking across the island through fog as thick and impenetrable as wool, captain and crew eventually bump into their nemesis, who snatches the shears from the captain’s hooves. Expecting dire consequences, everyone starts to flee, but things turn out wool, er, well. In a 90-degree book turn, Woolly is depicted using the shears to give himself a much-needed “woolcut.” He’s grateful for the shears—and for the company after a long, lonely spell. Captain Hoof and crew are delighted at this outcome. This is a cute tale, though the plot is a bit thin; the numerous, amusing sheep puns will appeal more to grown-ups than kids. But the digital illustrations are comical and dynamic, and the all-ovine protagonists are lively and expressive. The book contains lots of typographical creativity, including some onomatopoeic words, incorporated into the artwork, and maps in the endpapers include islands bearing funny, aptly punny names.
A cheery story that “wool” likely evoke some smiles. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: July 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780593569665
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
A kid-friendly look at the multifaceted work that underpins true inclusivity.
A tan-skinned, ponytailed youngster describes the challenges of caring for a very tall pet giraffe.
Mitigating their differences in size, child and pet adapt and compromise, because “that’s what friends do: they find ways to meet in the middle.” The park’s treehouse, where the young narrator and a group of diverse friends gather with their own unusual pets, is inaccessible for Giraffe: He must poke his head through the window to participate. One day, the narrator literally goes out on a limb with an umbrella to protect Giraffe from the rain. The next page depicts the child in a cast and using crutches. “For days and days, everything is just a little bit harder than it used to be.” And now, the clubhouse is inaccessible to the child, too. But the protagonist has an idea, and after the youngster explains and the club members have a vote, everyone pitches in to move the “Welcome Back” party, and the clubhouse’s contents, down to ground level. Mantchev takes inclusion a step further from in her earlier book Strictly No Elephants (2015), demonstrating that removing barriers to physical access can transform a nominal “All are welcome” policy from good intentions to committed practice. Yoo leavens the message with winsome double-page spreads that cheerfully accentuate the diversity of both children and pets (including an armadillo, mini-narwhal, skunk, and more).
A kid-friendly look at the multifaceted work that underpins true inclusivity. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781665962766
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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