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SALLY'S SNOW DAY

From the Sally’s Puppy Adventures series , Vol. 3

Another pleasurable doggy day with this lovable pooch.

Sally is going outside…in the snow!

Fluffy tan pup Sally prepares to go outside in the winter weather. First, her tan-skinned little human zips Sally into her puffy pink coat; then she gets one, two, three, four boots on her paws. She snuffles her way to a local park, where other dogs await, all dressed in their own winter gear. No two dogs match; they are as different from each other as the snowflakes. The humans in the park are making snowballs; some balls are big, while others are small. All over the dog park, people make snow dogs in a variety of sizes and shapes. Sally investigates every one with a good sniff. After Sally and her person say goodbye to their friends, they head home. Getting the boots off is harder than putting them on, especially since Sally is tuckered out from their excursion. While her little human reads by the fire, Sally sleeps and dreams of…snow dogs! This third installment in Sally’s adventures is a simple tale of dog and child enjoying an outing in the snow. Young animal lovers will enjoy the sweet story, possibly recognizing their own behavior in the ways the humans care for and love their pets. Lo’s minimal yet colorful digitally created illustrations bring the tale to life. The humans are of many hues, and the dogs of many species.

Another pleasurable doggy day with this lovable pooch. (Picture book. 2-6)

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024

ISBN: 9781459839762

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Orca

Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S CHRISTMAS

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...

The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.

The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3

Page Count: 24

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014

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HAPPY EASTER, LITTLE POOKIE

From the Little Pookie series

An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character.

Pookie celebrates Easter with a play date and holiday activities.

Pookie’s friend Bean, a gray puppy, comes over for Easter fun that includes lots of bouncing around and egg decorating. After Bean goes home, Pookie gets excited about the Easter Bunny’s arrival and goes to sleep dreaming of a large chocolate egg. Like the other Pookie books before it, this one is told in rhyme from the perspective of a loving grown-up addressing the little pig, which keeps the pace moving and makes for a great read-aloud. Bean and Pookie are realistically—and endearingly—childlike, from Pookie’s pronunciation of yellow as “lellow!” to the joyful mess they make while decorating eggs. There are plenty of sweet and festive touches, such as the bunny ears that Bean and Pookie (and Pookie’s teddy) wear and the daffodils painted on the end of Pookie’s bed. The illustrations include large, full-page images as well as smaller vignettes against solid backgrounds. One page shows Pookie and parent looking out the window at the moon, anticipating Easter’s spoils. For fans of Boynton and little Pookie, this Easter tale is exactly as expected: a touch of playfulness, a relatable story, and comfort in the familiar. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-66592-838-0

Page Count: 18

Publisher: Boynton Bookworks

Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022

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