Review by New York Times Review
In watercolors, ink and acrylics, Floca lays out colorfully and succinctly how the Apollo 11 mission unfolded. Crew and machinery are equally brought to life. One second before lift-off an astronaut gives a sidelong glance, full of suspense, and then . . . page turn: the rocket blasting off fills the spread (seeming to weigh every bit of its six million pounds). Inside, the airborne capsule is homey, with stuff floating around, in contrast to the black ink of space. CAT BURGLAR BLACK Written and illustrated by Richard Sala. First Second. $16.99. (Ages 11 and up) From its cinematic opening - a cliffhanger cutaway of a girl being chased by a wild boar - this noir comic sets up an inviting oddball mystery. K. Westree arrives at the remote Bellsong Academy for Girls to discover that school isn't in session. Instead, a cruel headmistress is training the other three "students" to be thieves as part of some grand scheme, and K. has been tapped to join them. Sala's style is cheerfully over-the-top, and the well-constructed plot, which is big on girl-power, as well as the sharply drawn characters will pull readers in. FIRST COME THE ZEBRA Written and illustrated by Lynne Barasch. Lee & Low. $18.95. (Ages 6 to 11) Barasch successfully dramatizes a real-life conflict between the Kikuyu and Masai peoples in Kenya, by telling the story of two boys. Abaani, a Masai herder, and Haki, a Kikuyu whose family are farmers, immediately begin fighting when they first meet. Things escalate until a baby wanders into danger and they both help in the rescue. The scenes are simply drawn, and the resolution feels hopeful and realistic; endnotes provide helpful context. FROM "FIRST COME THE ZEBRA" MULE TRAIN MAIL Written and illustrated by Craig Brown. Charlesbridge. $16.95. (Ages 4 to 7) There's one place left in the United States where the mail is delivered by mule train: from the rim of the Grand Canyon a mile down to Supai, on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. "The mules carry letters and packages, along with groceries, water, clothes and even computers," Brown writes, and neither 100-degree heat nor ice has ever stopped the trip. In the village, there are no cars; only mules and horses. In dusty brown pastels, he draws a quietly fascinating picture of a rare way of life. THE FASTEST GAME ON TWO FEET And Other Poems About How Sports Began. By Alice Low. Illustrated by John O'Brien. Holiday House. $17.95. (Ages 6 to 10) "Long ago, people all over the world played games with stones or ball-shaped objects." This is a fine idea for a book, and Low's light-hearted poems are both informative and amusing. In "They Ran for Their Lives," we're told, "It wasn't just a form of play,/ For when they ran/ They ran away" (from wild beasts). Also covered are skating using animal bones, early bowling - in church, circa A.D. 300 - and "kicking the Dane's head," or soccer. I DON'T WANT A POSH DOG! Written and illustrated by Emma Dodd. Little, Brown. $15.99. (Ages 4 to 8) Dodd's catchy text and handsome art make an appealing picture book for dog lovers (and those hoping to win a pet of their own). "I don't want a posh dog. A blow-dry-when-washed dog," says a small girl dressed in pink, who then goes on to list other things she doesn't want: "a growly, never-happy dog," "a grunty, wheezy, tough dog" - this while she hands a tissue to a doubtful-looking bulldog with spikes on his collar. The concept is simple and the execution charming. JULIE JUST
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [October 27, 2009]
Review by Booklist Review
Kids want pets. And even if they're not quite old enough to have their own, that's not going to stop them from fantasizing. That's where Dodd's charming ode to picking the perfect dog comes in. An unnamed girl in a pink dress is certain of what she doesn't want. An outfitted pooch in a handbag accompanies the declaration: I don't want a snooty dog. / A fancy, attitudey dog. Three bruisers snarl through the following verse: I don't want a snappy dog. / A growly, never-happy dog. The girl also rejects dogs who are gruff or needy or itchy. What's left? I just want a silly dog. / A sweet willy-nilly dog. The rhymes are clever and succinct, and the simple line art incorporates photo elements (a purse, some Astroturf) that lend the right touch of surrealism. The return of all the discarded doggies in a climactic mad dash gives readers a chance to point out their favorite rejectees. A fun, light introduction to all the mutts in young readers' futures.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Dodd (What Pet to Get?) tours the world of canine temperaments and concludes that sweetest is best. A petite girl with a pert haircut and a flowered dress imagines herself the owner of various dogs, rejecting each in turn with cleverly turned verse: "I don't want a posh dog./ A blow-dry-when-washed dog," she says, wielding a hair dryer at a haughty poodle with a rhinestone collar. As she's pulled off her feet by a racing greyhound, she says, "I don't want a speedy dog," while on the next spread, a rotund dachshund goes to work on a hamburger and fries, as two others clamor for attention ("A greedy, pleady, needy dog"). The exaggerated characteristics and expressions of Dodd's dogs are giggle-inducing, while jaunty type and digitally manipulated areas of texture amp up the text's inherent energy and the dogs' personalities. When a wire-haired gray dog with floppy ears appears, joyfully circling around the girl, she reveals that she wants "a none-too-proud or loud dog," cuddling the newcomer as the others roar past, "a know-me-in-the-crowd dog." Plenty of fun for dog lovers. Ages 3-6. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-In her search for the best pet, a child explains her likes and dislikes as she surveys a parade of pooches. Which, then, is the perfect dog? Most are rejected-the posh dog, speedy dog, gruff dog, or snappy dog. Even the snooty, "fancy, attitudey" dog is NOT what this child wants. She's looking for a "not-too-proud or loud dog," a "know-me-in-the-crowd dog"-simply one to play with and call her own. In short, she's searching for a true friend. The artwork is a colorful creation of mixed media, and the collage of textures pops off the pages. A greyhound speeds across grass, while the feathery fluff of loose hair and fleas on one pooch invites readers to truly feel like the "itchy, scritchy, scratchy, twitchy" dog. Dodd's illustrations convey emotions with simple lines, and well-placed dots show expressive eyes. Varying font sizes and concise text describe the canine choices. This title is for dog lovers everywhere.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A little girl searches for the perfect dog. Simple rhyming text follows her careful scrutiny and ultimate rejection of a wide variety of canine candidates as too "posh" and "snooty," "snappy" and "growly," "speedy" and "itchy." Finally, she finds a "silly...willy-nilly" best friend who's just the right companion for her. Humorous and unfussy mixed-media illustrations capture the pups' personalities. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
