Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* High-spirited and self-centered, Dog competes with his four friends, one by one. He outruns Mole in a race, beats Goose in a digging contest, bests Ladybug in terms of size, and swims better than Donkey. Each time, he announces, I win. I'm the best. His friends feel sad until they realize that Mole's the best digger, Duck's the best swimmer, Donkey's the biggest, and Ladybug can fly highest. Suddenly realizing that he has been a silly SHOW-OFF and mean to his friends, downcast Dog apologizes. After they reassure him that they value his friendship and admire his beautiful fluffy ears, his irrepressible bravado surges again. Dog's simple, childlike narration moves the story forward while making the most of this distinctive character and his flip-flopping emotional state, from his thoughtless, heartless declarations of superiority to his glum realization that he has hurt his friends to his final exclamation about the supreme importance of fluffy ears. The book's large format gives plenty of range for Cousins' naive, expressive pencil-and-ink illustrations. From the exuberant text to the bold, colorful artwork, a joyous spirit pervades this picture book and its fallible yet lovable protagonist. Fine for reading aloud to preschoolers who suspect that they may be fallible yet hope that they are still lovable.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Dog and his friends live in a world of exuberant color, full of splashes and splatters, but Dog himself can be a little tiresome. Ladybug, Mole, Goose, and Donkey suffer patiently through his everlasting boasting: he can run faster than Mole, dig better than Goose, and outdo the other two as well. Cousins (Yummy) conveys the mixed feelings Dog's big talk creates: "I feel sad," says Donkey. "Me, too," agrees Goose. "Actually..." Mole says, "I can dig holes much longer and much deeper than you, Dog. So I win. I'm the best." Sure enough, when the tables are turned, all the animals can top Dog in some way. Stung, Dog has a low moment ("I'm just a silly show-off") and apologizes. The friends embrace and comfort him ("you are the best at having beautiful fluffy ears"), and in no time, Dog is off again ("Obviously having beautiful fluffy hears is the most important thing. So I AM the best"), his true temperament reasserting itself. Dog's reversion to type will evoke either one last giggle or a groan, but the message hits. Ages 2-5. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Jaunty in rainbow-plaid pants, Dog discovers ways to compete with each of his friends. However, he quickly learns that although he swims better than Donkey, Goose is the best swimmer, and Donkey wins the height contest. Finally devastated by his inferiority and shamed by the shabby way he's treated his pals, the orange pup apologizes to Ladybug, Mole, Goose, and Donkey. During a group hug, they kindly assure him that he's the best at having "beautiful fluffy ears. And we love you." The story ends with Dog confident that his talent is the most important of all, so, in fact, he is still "the best." As always, Cousins invigorates her cartoons with color and charm. Her splotches and whirls convey depth and movement. The simply drawn characters have a comic flair and, like Ladybug in her tutu, beguile upon first glance. This well-told tale of competitive obsession belongs in all collections.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (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
Dog's braggadocio ("I'm much bigger than Ladybug. I win. I'm the best") hurts his four animal friends' feelings--until they remember their own talents ("Actually, I can fly much higher than you, Dog"). Here Cousins abandons her customary flat primary and secondary palette and revels in a loose-handedness that invigorates this terrifically sassy call for humility. Copyright 2010 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
