Review by New York Times Review
Ismail, a British illustrator with a background in animation, uses bright, beautiful brush strokes of watercolor to convey the manic, tail-wagging, mud-spattering energy that Fred, a furry black mop of a dog, brings to bedtime. Though Fred is the center of attention, Ismail adds just the right amount of decorative intensity to his surroundings: Look out for the cleverly appropriate book titles ("Woof," "A Shaggy Tale") that at last persuade this exuberant puppy to settle down for a story. IS THAT MY CAT? Written and illustrated by Jonathan Allen. 28 pp. Boxer Books. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 2 to 6) No slim kitty, this cat is nearly as wide as she is long, and seems to spend all day eating and sleeping. The boy who cares for her is perplexed. "My cat is a little cat who leaps in and out of the cat flap," he insists, while Allen's pictures suggest otherwise: The cat, Winnie-the-Pooh-like, gets stuck with her front half inside and her back half out. What's going on? Soon, the cat's reverted to her old svelte self, but there's a big surprise (six little ones, really) mewing in the closet. SHOE DOG By Megan McDonald. Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson. 40 pp. Richard Jackson/Atheneum. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 6) "Dog wanted a home. A real home. A place full of hundreds of nose kisses, dozens of tummy rubs." Adopted by "Herself," Dog couldn't be happier, until he is banished to the basement for chewing up shoes. In Tillotson's charcoal-and-crayon drawings, the scribbly dog's desires are at odds with his owner's elegant wardrobe. McDonald - of the Judy Moody books - knows how to tell this story from the puppy's perspective; young readers may find they share his sensibility, if not (we hope!) his habits. MATILDA'S CAT Written and illustrated by Emily Gravett. 32 pp. Simon & Schuster. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Dressed in a stripy cat suit, Matilda, who looks to be about 4, has all sorts of ideas for how to play with her similarly striped cat. But kitty turns her nose up at each activity Matilda proposes, from tree-climbing to bike-riding - even the promising prospect of fooling around with yarn. Gravett's charming pictures of the determined girl and her skeptical cat are full of funny details as the two struggle to figure out what they have in common. Could it involve napping? SPARKY! By Jenny Offill. Illustrated by Chris Appelhans. 40 pp. Schwartz & Wade. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Perhaps not everyone will see the humor in naming a sloth Sparky, but this distinctively illustrated story will amuse those who do. A lonely girl, painted in rainy-day watercolor washes of teal and brown, longs for a pet. Her mother agrees, if it "doesn't need to be walked or bathed or fed." The sloth that arrives by Express Mail spends most of his time slumped over a tree branch, but his presence brings a smile of delight to his young owner; he really is just what she wanted. ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [March 16, 2014]
Review by Booklist Review
Meet Fred, the latest in a long line of irascible picture-book pooches whose misbehavior only makes them all the sweeter. The clock has struck eight, which, according to our unseen narrator, means it's bedtime for bozos. But Fred is not really down with that. He hides in the flower bed, a tree, and a mud puddle, which means bath time a clever delay tactic, eh? Then it's back to hiding in a watering can, the sink, a bookshelf, the laundry basket, you name it. Ismail has channeled Chris Raschka's work here, most explicitly the beloved A Ball for Daisy (2011). Like Daisy, Fred is illustrated in watercolors that seem to soak through the page in thick blotches and rich, saturated colors. The effect is a wonderful sense of motion; when Fred shakes off from a bath, he becomes roughly 10 thick lines of whirling fur abstract and yet perfectly understandable. All ends well, of course, for this happy little demented doggie, just how readers (and listeners) like it.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Somehow, one look at Ismail's (Inside, Outside, Upside Down) shaggy dog, Fred, is enough to make readers grin. Is it his chaotic fur, scribbled haphazardly in watercolor? Is it his dainty claws, or his ears, which have a life of their own? Maybe it's his giant smile or the torrent of water that trails him when he takes off running after his bath ("Wait, Fred, wait! You're not dry yet!"), then dashes outdoors so he can shake all that water off-onto the clothesline, of course. In this gentle and effective turn on a typical go-to-bed story, Fred is a pet, not an animal child, and the voiceover-style narration is clearly that of his young owner. Yet Fred has a bed and a bedtime routine, complete with a read-aloud session (Woof! by "R. Hound"), and he's no less reluctant to settle down than his human counterparts. He means well-it's just that the temptations of mud puddles, tall trees, and watering cans inevitably distract him. Fred's eager-to-please look and the constant trouble he gets into give this the makings of a bedtime favorite. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Fred is a dog that isn't quite ready for bed. He climbs a tree, dives into a mud puddle, races out of his bathtub sopping wet, and clutches a book expectantly in his mouth. After one last ditch effort to sleep in his owner's bed, a smiling Fred is finally tucked into his own pad with a bone and ball. Ismail's illustrations are reminiscent of Norton Juster's exuberant and colorful images while Fred's antics make him a kindred spirit to Chris Raschka's Daisy. Ismail cleverly uses exclamations and rhetorical questions to liven up the familiar lets-get-ready-for-bed storyline. This book works well as a read aloud, as it begs for audience participation, and will likely become a bedtime favorite.-Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH (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
It's eight o'clock: shaggy dog Fred's bedtime. Loosely rendered watercolor illustrations picture Fred on the move, anywhere but bed. Impressive double-page spreads show the pup nestled in a colorful flower patch, plunging headlong into a mud puddle, and shaking off after a bath before an eventual cozy concession. A satisfying, endearing bedtime story with lots of action and minimal, accessible text. (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
A hilarious, not-ready-for-bed book starring Fred--an irrepressible and irresistible dog--and his diversionary tactics, in whose spirit parents and children will lovingly find the familiar. Fred is a bedtime-avoidance pro. When the clock chimes 8 o'clock, he's off and up to his old antics. The owner's affectionate yet exasperated remonstrations aptly capture a parent's bedtime struggle, as Fred continues to hide and make mischief. He pretends a chair, laundry basket--and, yes, the parent's bed!--is his own. At last, Fred's asleep, tucked in to the appropriate bed. Playful illustrations in an autumnal palette will endear the pup to readers, as he gleefully climbs, digs and splashes through mud. Ismail applies her watercolors skillfully, capturing the precision of Leo Lionni's collage work and the exuberance of Mary Blair's palette. Each mark has an energy, purpose and thought to it. The sophisticated and loose artwork is the ideal match for the simple, emotive text. A perfectly designed read-aloud for the bedtime staller. A sheer delight! (Picture book. 1-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
