Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hat tip to Mother Goose: Murray (Princess Penelope and the Runaway Kitten) uses one of the most familiar nursery rhymes to introduce Rufus, a dog who's determined to be a constant companion to his young owner, Zack, from wake-up to bedtime. Why should a little thing like school and a "NO DOGS ALLOWED" sign come between two buddies? With nary a supervising adult in sight to protest or eject the increasingly scruffy Rufus, the dog wriggles through a fence and joins in the kindergarten fun. Art class is "make-a-mess heaven," and lunch is divine: "Hickory, lickery, lunch,/ Some yummy food to munch./ The clock strikes noon/ Zack's dropped his spoon!/ Hickory, lickery lunch." Murray's digital pictures have the cheery colors, simple shapes, and straightforward exuberance of 1950s illustration. Rufus, fashioned out of an almost continuous scraggly brown line and filled in with mustardy yellow, is the very picture of canine devotion. Analog clocks pop up throughout the spreads, offering visual cues (and subtle nudges) to those on the threshold of knowing how to tell time. Ages 2-5. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Set to the tune of "Hickory Dickory Dock," Murray's original text perfectly fits the traditional nursery song. Zack and his scruffy and adorable dog Rufus go through a day of activities, from rising when the alarm clock rings to bedtime. In between, they play in a park, paint, eat lunch, garden, and bathe. The language is pure fun in places ("Hickory dickory dee,/Haroo!/Hurrah!/Yippee!") and always child-friendly. The digitally rendered artwork is colorful and appealing. Various analog clock faces are highlighted throughout the illustrations, reinforcing the passage of time. The book begs to be read aloud or, even more appropriately, sung aloud. The generous size of the book, the clarity and appeal of the illustrations, and the fluidity of the text make it a good choice for storytime. And if shared one-on-one, the text and art will elicit great conversations.-Maralita L. Freeny, District of Columbia Public Library (c) Copyright 2014. 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
This riff on a familiar nursery rhyme tells of dog Rufus's surprise visit to his boy's preschool. There's a "hullabaloo" because "dogs aren't allowed," but the smiles on the kids' faces telegraph that it's a welcome one. Murray's energetic digital illustrations, on thick oversize pages, add context to her cheery story. Use this as a friendly introduction to what a school day looks like. (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
Following One Two That's My Shoe (2012), Murray again riffs on a traditional nursery rhyme, keeping its cadences while focusing on a day in the life of Zack and his faithful dog, Rufus.Rufus follows Zack to school, where he romps with a small group of ethnically diverse classmates as they march in a band, play dress-up, bicycle, scooter and skateboard (sans helmets), and paint at easels. There's nary an adult in sight, and most of the analog clocks that anchor the day's events (from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) have no numbers, leaving the time-telling to grown-up readers. Murray's digital art employs a palette ranging from flat, retro pastels to bright primary colors. The children sport stylized hair and clothing, with black dots for eyes. The antics of shaggy, yellow Rufus earn him splotches of blue, green and pink, as well as some glued-on fallen leaves. Oddly, large swaths of time elapse between some adjacent spreads. Zack and Rufus arrive home at 5 p.m.three hours after leaving the classroom for the leaf pile. Since the day's passing hours are one of the story's themes, such unexplained time lapses are unfortunate.Flawed internal logic mars this slight tale. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
