ADVENTURES OF STEWIE & VERONIKA
Going to the Park
written and illustrated by Louis J. Scavone
Veronika and her dog Stewie have some fun adventures in the park in Scavone’s debut picture book.
Dog Stewie and Veronika are the best of friends. They love to go their local park to play and explore. They begin by catching butterflies and bumblebees, then encounter some new animal friends—namely fish, frogs, and ducks—as they relax by the lake. Veronika tells her pet, “Stewie, Stewie, I love you / and all the special things we do. Stewie, Stewie, you are my best friend, / I never want this day to end.” Unfortunately, though, the day must eventually end, as they head home after basking in the sunshine and frolicking about in nature. The author is heavy on the rhyming couplets but light on plot. The fish that startles Stewie and Veronika appears at first glance to be a welcome source of drama in the story, but the author moves on to briefly describe the other animals the pair meet instead. There is no dramatic tension to capture a young reader’s attention. However, a preschooler who enjoys calm, meandering slice-of-life stories would be drawn to this one. Scavone’s digital illustrations are sunny and saturated, though his skill in depicting animals, particularly cute Stewie, may not make up for the vacant, haunted look in Veronika’s eyes and the odd smile he gives her on every page.
An occasionally charming but unextraordinary story of interspecies friendship.