This witty story of friendship and dogged determination will appeal to young and adult readers alike.
A fun-loving pooch has a very tough first day at doggie daycare in Shepardson’s middle-grade chapter book.
If Hank had his way, he’d spend all day every day with his “favorite little human.” But Paisy is starting kindergarten, and she and “Hu-Mom” don’t want Hank to be home alone. So, the next day, his humans leave him at Canines Unleashed, a doggie daycare. As Hank tries to make friends, he quickly learns that some of his typical behavior, like jumping when excited, is a big no-no at this place, and that breaking the rules could land him in a special training class or even doggie jail. As if that weren’t bad enough, one of the daycare regulars, Fred, isn’t a Hank fan; he goes out of his way to get Hank in trouble or steal his food. It’s a whole new experience at daycare, getting used to different nap times and learning when not to howl; Hank just wants to make it through the day so he can go home to Paisy. Shepardson’s fetching tale shows the importance of pet training: Hank is a gentle, loving dog, but he doesn’t know or abide by certain commands, which can be a real problem out in public. Fred is an effective antagonist, and Luna the Portie makes a superb counterpart—a potential new friend who’s there to support and comfort Hank. The four-legged hero has a big heart; despite his bad day, he constantly thinks about Paisy and hopes that her first day at school is going better than his. The author loads the pages with waggish, canine-relevant wordplay, like “pawsome,” “fur-ever,” and things that are simply “BARK-TASTIC.” Kwong’s black-and-white artwork enlivens the text, highlighting Hank’s best moments playing with toys or being happily covered in suds.
This witty story of friendship and dogged determination will appeal to young and adult readers alike.Pub Date: Nov. 19, 2024
ISBN: 9798336923353
Page Count: 92
Publisher: Clear Fork Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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