Review by Booklist Review
Simple verse and comic cartoons combine to celebrate a bounding, boundless variety of dogdom. A little boy with a big affinity for dogs works his way through a city park that's chock-full of canine variety. Along the way, he follows a series of ADOPT A DOG TODAY! signs as he catalogs all of the kinds of dogs he loves: Yappy dogs, happy dogs / Fluffy dogs, scruffy dogs. Finally, he arrives at his destination: a place where he can adopt a happy bundle of his own. Stainton's couplets frolic like the energetic dogs they chronicle, filling the patterned rhyme with both predictable and unpredictable descriptions. Staake's trademark style, a polychrome midcentury madness, here depicts purple people and plaid puppies on an ebullient municipal backdrop and echoes the outing's delightful spirit with waggish detail and creative abandon. Individual viewers will pore over this and storytime audiences will roar! Dog-lovers rejoice!--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-"Dogs, dogs, dogs," chants a red-haired boy with a large, round head and striped shirt, as he strolls through the park on a sunny day. During his walk, he encounters all sorts of canines. No matter their size, shape, personality, or breed, he adores them. The boy makes note of the different varieties he meets, from "strong dogs" and "long dogs" to "shaggy dogs" and "waggy dogs." On his journey, he passes several signs advertising an adopt-a-dog program. Finally, he reaches the street and eagerly heads into the local pet store. As the proprietor hands him his own smiling pup, the boy says once again, "Dogs, dogs, dogs. I love dogs!" Staake's dynamic digital illustrations add energy and humor to the rhyming text. Each spread depicts a number of pups enjoying a romp in the park. All of the canines are bursting with unique personality and their owners are just as diverse as their pets. In the middle of all the action, the boy cannot contain his delight as he moves from page to page. Pair this exuberant title with Jane O'Connor's The Perfect Puppy for Me (Viking, 2003) or Wanda Gag's classic Millions of Cats.-Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA (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
A little boy spends the length of this book singing the praises of his favorite animal: "I love dogs! / Curly dogs, burly dogs. / Hairy dogs, scary dogs." The narrative doesn't exactly push the envelope or break new ground, but who can quibble with easy-on-the-tongue rhymes and joy-filled, razor-sharp illustrations of people and canines meeting eye-to-oversize-eye? (c) Copyright 2015. 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 little boy travels around a bustling, big-city park observing dogs of many varieties before finally acquiring a dog of his own. The title page introduces the boy who narrates the story, showing him gazing up at a red sign that orders, "Adopt a dog today!" As the boy wanders through the huge park, he follows multiple identical signs that point the way to a canine adoption center. The short, humorous text describes a diverse canine population through descriptive rhyming pairs, such as "nosy dogs, / cozy dogs" and "naughty dogs, / haughty dogs." Stylized, computer-generated illustrations capture the antics of the happily romping canines and the eccentricities of their various owners. The main character is sometimes cleverly concealed within the illustrations of the busy park scenes, but he can always be spotted by his tuft of red hair and striped shirt. The illustrations carefully match the descriptions of the dogs, whether spotty, dotty, wrinkly or crinkly, and the bold, jazzy style perks up a story that isn't particularly original. As always, Staake depicts skin tones of just about every color, including blue, lavender and green; the protagonist has very light brown skin. Pleasing pups and a vibrant illustration style make this a cheery story for preschoolers or for children just beginning to read on their own. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
