Review by Booklist Review
Harry wants a dog so much that, one day, he pops his X-35 Infra-Rocket Imagination Helmet on and dreams up a giant, gallivanting blue dog named Waffle. Harry has such a great time with his new friend that he is barely troubled by the fact that no one else can see the big blue fellow. Before long, Harry's dad turns up with a real dog, who wants nothing more than to be Harry's best pal. It's here that Berger (onetime head writer of Sesame Street) moves seamlessly from good-humored setup to touching and thoughtful wrap-up, as Harry puts the X-35 helmet on his new dog and all three friends spend a day playing out in the fields before Waffle races off happily after a cloud . . . and disappears. Catrow's distinctively idiosyncratic character art and Seuss-inspired imaginary dog lend both visual depth and a joyful lightness to Berger's story, which taps into the longing and imagination of youth and captures the incomparable bond between a child and a dog.--Karp, Jesse Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The familiar premise of the kid who desperately wants a dog gets a big shot of adrenaline from Berger (The Elephant Wish) and Catrow (Dozens of Cousins). Harry's loving but allergic father seems to rule out any possibility of dog ownership, but Harry has a solution: "He would put on his X-35 Infra-Rocket Imagination Helmet"-it's an old football helmet festooned with aluminum foil-"and create a dog from deep within his own brain." The result is Waffle, as big as an Irish wolfhound and made entirely of clouds. Catrow is marvelous in portraying the joy that Harry and Waffle find in each other's company; the artist's signature visual exaggerations, usually (and wonderfully) employed in the service of transgressions and gross-out humor, take on remarkable emotional depth. When Dad brings home a real dog, Harry is torn between the pet he's always wanted (he "could feel its real hot breath, its thick golden fur") and the fantasy that has given him so much comfort. Berger handles his hero's struggles with love and loyalty beautifully; there is nothing evanescent about Harry's attachments. Good boy-and great book. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Having a severely allergic father means that Harry's dreams of owning a dog are going nowhere, so he snaps on his X-35 Infra-Rocket Imagination Helmet and produces a furry imaginary friend he names Waffle. The pair is inseparable and, like most imaginary friends, is accepted by the adults and regarded skeptically by playmates. When his dad changes jobs, moving from a pepper factory to one that makes Ping-Pong balls, his allergies disappear, and he buys Harry a live dog, Bumper, as a birthday surprise. When the real dog can't see the imaginary pooch, Harry places him under the helmet for a few minutes and the three friends happily cavort out the door. At the end of their play and the book, the dream dog leaps up into the sky and out of the story while Harry bonds with his new pet. Catrow's signature loose-limbed, full-color gouache, pencil-and-ink art sprawls across the pages with detailed exaggeration. The story includes threads about Harry's father's jobs, the boy's first lizard pet, his friend Mathilda, and many adventures with his dream dog. The length of this tale, the fairly complex plot, and text that meanders leisurely suggests a school-age audience. However, Harry looks and often acts like a preschooler, which could make determining the right audience for the book difficult. Still, libraries looking for stories to help ease older children away from imaginary friends may want to consider this title.-Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2013. 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 young boy with a vivid imagination (and a sneezy dad) yearns for a dog. Harry dons his "X-35 Infra-Rocket Imagination Helmet" and creates an imaginary canine companion, Waffle. When Harry's father loses his pepper-factory job, clearing up his sinuses, he gives Harry a real dog, and Waffle finds a satisfying new home. Catrow's flamboyantly colored caricatures detail the offbeat story's slapstick action. (c) Copyright 2014. 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
The common developmental stage of imaginary friendship is creatively and charmingly addressed in this bittersweet tale of a boy and his dogs--one real and one pretend (or maybe not). Harry lives alone with his dad. Harry wants a dog, but Dad has allergies. So Harry puts on his X-35 Infra-Rocket Imagination Helmet and conjures up his own perfect pet, a dream dog named Waffle. This new pet is huge and fuzzy, all light blue and white like cumulous clouds, and only Harry can see him. Waffle and Harry become best pals, with Harry's dad playing along with the idea of the imaginary dog--though readers can see Waffle in all his blue-and-white, surprisingly believable glory. When Dad's allergies suddenly improve, he brings home a real dog. A little adjustment of the helmet ensures that new dog Bumper can see Waffle, and Harry takes both dogs to the park. In a stunning conclusion, Waffle chases after fluffy clouds and disappears into the sky, leaving Harry not to mourn (he knows Waffle is happy) but to devote himself to Bumper. An imaginative, humorous text is well-complemented by large-format illustrations in gouache, pencil and ink. The busy illustrations are filled with fanciful details and funny peripheral characters, but Waffle is a captivating star with a real personality all his own. This delightful story waffles irresistibly between reality and fantasy, and young readers will find Waffle the dream dog a tasty treat. (Picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
