A good message excellently illustrated.
A puppy named Max explains how he’s being trained as a service dog in this children’s picture book.
Unlike most puppies, Max, who appears to be a golden retriever, has plans: he’s going to become a service dog. Such dogs can “open doors, turn on lights, and even take off someone’s shoes,” Max explains. Max’s puppy raiser and best friend is Sam, a redheaded white boy. Sam teaches Max the basics of behavior, plays with him, bathes him, and takes him for walks in his special yellow vest. Max can meet other dogs and people while practicing staying focused among many distractions. Once a week they go to puppy kindergarten, where Max learns simple commands like “visit.” Also, Max enjoys the privileges of service dogs, like getting to go on the bus, into the library, or even to the movies. Though Max knows he’ll miss Sam when it’s time for him to leave, he can’t wait to start helping someone who needs him because “that’s just like being a HERO!” Numeroff (If You Give a Mouse a Brownie, 2016, etc.) gives children a good introduction to the concept of service dogs, explaining why these animals are necessary and the kinds of help they provide. Another plus is that by focusing on a puppy who’s still learning but has goals, kids can identify with Max and the pride involved in mastering skills. The appealing, softly colored illustrations nicely capture the affection between boy and dog.
A good message excellently illustrated.Pub Date: Nov. 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9965518-1-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cleverkick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 7, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
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BOOK REVIEW
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A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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