Review by Booklist Review
Marlo the dog's bath becomes a fantasy undersea adventure in Browne's debut picture book. Accompanied by his trusty yellow companion, Duck, Marlo ventures into the depths of the ocean and meets strange, exotic creatures. As an added seek-and-find feature, readers are invited to look for Duck, who is partially hidden in each illustration. After swimming through vivid, engrossing scenes, Marlo ends up in the mouth of a whale. Luckily, he comes upon a boat filled with cheerful sea lions and penguins, who help Marlo and Duck pop out of the whale's blowhole and back toward home. In dramatic full-page spreads, the pen-drawn illustrations, with solid, saturated colors added digitally, immerse the reader in the scenes, while shifts from a dark background to a white one signal the change from fantasy to reality. The humorous pictures convey movement and energy, while the touches of bright yellow used throughout make the hunt for Duck more challenging. No need to be afraid of the water. Bring a friend and dive in!--Whitehurst, Lucinda Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Marlo, a putty-colored dog with a squarish snout, has been digging in the dirt, and everybody knows what happens to muddy dogs: "A bath! Marlo really didn't like baths." Working in a clear-line style, debut author-illustrator Browne shows Marlo peering from the bathtub with a stricken look, clutching a rubber duck. In an instant the two are carried off into the surf, and Marlo, now in deep-sea gear, dives through a school of yellow fish. The riches Marlo discovers unfold in spread after wordless spread: fish resembling swimming toothbrushes, huge jellyfish, hermit crabs that live in boots or Santa hats. But there's danger, too, as Marlo comes face-to-face with a massive, tanklike fish (fortunately, his diving gear is equipped with jet propulsion). Though Browne is more interested in visual comedy than biological observation, he captures the magic of undersea movement-the way schools of fish divide and re-form, the way even enormous fish appear to hang weightlessly in the water, and the profusion and color of aquatic life. It's a lovely, quirky diversion. Ages 4-8. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Marlo the dog is dirty, and his owners decide he should have a bath. Marlo doesn't care for baths, but he has a yellow rubber duck to keep him company and a big imagination. The story begins with three pages of brief text and playful line drawings of a lovable pup against a white backdrop. Then an unexpected and colorful wordless adventure starts under the sea. Sweeping deep blue spreads depict Marlo in scuba gear as he encounters schools of fish, coral, squid, and other sea creatures, both big and small. A huge grumpy fish chases him into the mouth of a larger whale. Inside the whale, Marlo comes across a pirate ship of penguins. All is not lost, though, and the whale ejects Marlo from his blowhole. Marlo returns to his bathtub, safe and sound. Young readers will be intrigued by the variety of whimsically portrayed sea life and the way Browne depicts the relative sizes of the creatures and the vastness of the ocean. Those who look closely will be delighted to find a hidden rubber duck in each illustration. There is also a determined crustacean seeking a new shell to call home on most pages. VERDICT Best shared one-on-one or with a small group, this almost wordless adventure offers much to behold on each perusal.-Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services © Copyright 2017. 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.
