Smooth prose and a suspenseful plot further improve this winning story about the rewards of perseverance.
A black Labrador dog named Alayna runs away from her family’s campsite during a thunderstorm and gives birth to four puppies in McNeill’s middle-grade novel. Alayna’s family misses her, especially Becky. When Alayna deems the puppies old enough, she and her pack attempt to find their way home. Along the way, they meet many friends, kind canines and owners, but they also encounter obstacles like storms, fog and predators. Their guardian angel, Luna—a creature of light who takes the form of a hummingbird—follows them and sends them other friendly animals and signs as they navigate a treacherous path. Meanwhile, Tessa—a lonely young girl who longs for a dog—moves into Becky’s neighborhood. Upon hearing Becky’s sad news about losing Alayna, Tessa launches a search party. Although McNeill’s debut is for kids, anyone looking for comfort and inspiration will enjoy the tale. Luna describes her world of green fields, sunny skies and endless beauty, with God watching over all—a garden variety but lovely interpretation of heaven. Luna’s role is as observer only: She follows the traveling hounds and observes their plight, but she only involves herself once. Despite the story’s strong message of faith, all the characters acknowledge that it can carry them only so far, that they must act on their own behalf with courage and determination to see their beliefs come to fruition. As Luna puts it, “testing brings great strength.” Too much intervention from their spirit guide would have prevented them from discovering “how brave they can be and how much they love each other.” Tessa spearheads the search for the missing black Lab, but otherwise seems superfluous. Black-and-white illustrations add a graceful touch. The story’s conclusion seems foregone, but enough trials await the characters to keep readers invested.
Smooth prose and a suspenseful plot further improve this winning story about the rewards of perseverance.Pub Date: March 5, 2012
ISBN: 978-1469924755
Page Count: 118
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts.
Ohtani, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, teams up with Blank and Liem to tell the story of how his dog, Decoy, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.
It’s a big day! Decoy leaps “off the bed. Then back onto the bed. Then off the bed.” The enthusiastic pup heads outside to practice with his lucky baseball but is quickly distracted by squirrels (“we’ll play later!”), airplanes (“flyin’ high!”), and flowers (“smell ya soon!”). Dog and pitcher then head to the ballpark. In the locker room, Decoy high-paws Shohei’s teammates. It’s nearly time! But as Shohei prepares to warm up, Decoy realizes that he’s forgotten something important: his lucky ball. Without it, there will be “no championships, no parades, and no hot dogs!” Back home he goes, returning just in time. With Shohei at the plate, Decoy runs from the mound to his owner, rolling the ball into Shohei’s mitt for a “Striiiiike!” Related from a dog’s point of view, Ohtani and Blank’s energetic text lends the tale a sense of urgency and suspense. Liem’s illustrations capture the excitement of the first day of baseball season and the joys of locker room camaraderie, as well as Shohei and Decoy’s mutual affection—even when the ball is drenched in slobber, Shohei’s love for his pet shines through, and clearly, Decoy is focused when it matters.
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780063460775
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
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