Review by Booklist Review
One morning, Lily looks outside to find something big, brown, and hairy in her backyard, and she cries out, DOGGY! Mom says that Lily can't keep the animal, so over the course of this picture book, Lily works on a poster: FOUND! One very silly doggy! The poster is comprised of all the reasons why the dog is silly: he's no good at playing fetch (he eats the ball), and he's terrible at tricks, for instance. Kids will be delighted to be in on the joke that the doggy is actually a bear, and a surprise ending extends the laughs even further. Stower has a knack for capturing facial expressions in his loose line illustrations Lily, a pigtailed wisp of a girl, fearlessly leads her new pet around with a scarf for a leash, while the bear, a great sport, appears both joyful and befuddled. Mistaken identity is a staple theme in children's books, but this has fresh appeal. Pair it with Lindsay Ward's When Blue Met Egg (2012), about an egg that's actually a snowball.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Because she has always wanted a dog, young Lily adopts the runaway zoo bear that she finds in her garden and promptly names him Doggy. She admits that he is rather large for a dog, and a bit grumpy; he won't eat dog food and doesn't like to play fetch. Mom insists that Lily make a "Found" poster, which leads to the animal's reclamation, much to Lily's sadness, until she finds "Kitty" (an escaped tiger) drinking at the garden pond. Children will empathize with the narrator while chuckling over her obvious errors. Stower's gently colored drawings are charged with cheery particulars, such as the bear's yellow hair bow and striped tie "leash." The artist is especially adept at expressive poses, such as Bear hanging out of the bus window with tongue lolling and Lily's examination of his mouth to find a missing ball. This case of mistaken identity is familiar territory, but the illustrations keep it fresh and humorous.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2012. 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
One morning, Lily saw something wonderful in her garden." She calls it "Doggy," but the lively illustrations reveal a bear. Her mother won't let her keep him, so Lily creates a poster (describing his un-doglike behavior), drawing the attention of the rightful owner (the zoo). Kids will love being in on the joke and will roar when Lily finds her next unusual pet: "Kitty! (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Lily's new pet is a real handful. One morning, little Lily spots "something wonderful" in her garden. It's big and brown and hairy, and she's always wanted one. Rushing outside, she interrupts a bear rooting through the garbage, and uses her scarf to improvise a leash. "Doggy!" she declares, and takes him for a walk. Busy Mom doesn't really look when Lily explains her discovery, suggesting that Doggy might be lost. To help Doggy's owner find him, Lily makes a big poster and tacks it to a tree, secretly hoping that nobody sees it. Meantime, she learns a lot about Doggy: He hates dog food but loves to raid the refrigerator. He likes to play in the park but hates to walk there. He won't fetch or sit or stay, but he loves being scratched. He doesn't like to get a bath but looks very pretty when he's clean. Of course somebody does see the poster, and comes to Lily's door. Zookeeper Theodore Wilde is immensely relieved to take "Doggy" back home to the zoo. But wouldn't you know it that the next morning, Lily spots another something wonderful in her garden: "Kitty!" Young readers should relate to Lily's curiosity and sense of adventure, well captured in Stower's pictures, which make the bear look mild-mannered and bemused. Still, it is but one of many odd-pet books out there. Funny enough, but it won't have much staying power. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
