An entertaining, action-packed tale about raising a puppy that focuses on bad behavior.
In this illustrated children’s book, a rambunctious puppy upends a household.
Breuer draws on her experience as a dog owner for this work. The story features two canines, Tucker and Ridge, and a cat called Trouble who live with their humans in northeast Washington state. The trio gets along well and life is good until Daisy Mae, a German shepherd puppy, arrives. Daisy Mae is a “whirlwind of energy and activity” who disrupts the formerly “quiet, peaceful home.” The puppy cries at night, tries to bite the household humans and pets, attempts to steal food, and harasses the cat. The humans constantly shout “NO!” but Daisy Mae doesn’t understand their exasperation. “Learn to follow the rules. Then you will always hear ‘Good dog, Daisy Mae,’” Tucker tells her. Tucker and Ridge do their best to teach the puppy about walking on a leash, going potty outside, and leaving sleeping dogs alone. Trouble uses hisses and swats to reinforce boundaries. Tucker explains to Daisy Mae that “a good dog gets along with all sorts of people and animals. A good dog is calm even in strange situations. A good dog trusts its people to protect it from harm.” Over time, and with positive reinforcement, Daisy Mae learns to coexist peacefully with her housemates. By the end of the story, Daisy Mae is no longer just a source of chaos, but a beloved part of the pack as well. Breuer realistically captures the destructive antics of puppies, such as tearing up toilet paper and tipping over plants. The storytelling from Tucker’s point of view allows for humorous commentary: “‘Hiss’ is ‘Leave me alone’ in cat language.” Daisy Mae’s perspective is also unique and often funny in lines like “The people keep calling me ‘NO.’” Caswell’s dynamic illustrations convey Daisy Mae’s nonstop naughtiness and others’ emotional reactions to it. But the puppy-training techniques are barely shown in the story; instead, readers are told about them in a “Tips” section at the book’s end.
An entertaining, action-packed tale about raising a puppy that focuses on bad behavior.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers.
Animal parents declare their love for their offspring through rhymed puns and sentimental art.
The title sets the scene for what’s to come: The owl asks the owlet as they fly together, “WHOO loves you?”; the kangaroo and joey make each other “very HOPPY”; and the lioness and cub are a “PURRRFECT pair.” Most of the puns are both unimaginative and groanworthy, and they are likely to go over the heads of toddlers, who are not know for their wordplay abilities. The text is set in abcb quatrains split over two double-page spreads. On each spread, one couplet appears on the verso within a lightly decorated border on pastel pages. On the recto, a full-bleed portrait of the animal and baby appears in softly colored and cozy images. Hearts are prominent on every page, floating between the parent and baby as if it is necessary to show the love between each pair. Although these critters are depicted in mistily conceived natural habitats and are unclothed, they are human stand-ins through and through.
The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers. (Board book. 6 mos-2)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-1374-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
