Review by Booklist Review
Chaos and cacophony aren't the first words that come to mind when imagining an artist setting up an easel in a field on a sunny day, but Van Dog's beautiful morning for painting quickly devolves into one of absurd madness, and the result is delightful. Requisite beret atop his head, the canine painter surveys a lush green landscape peppered with wildflowers and buzzing insects--literally. The bugs are chatting it up, their conversations written as sounds beside them: tick tick, beep, buzz, humm. Then a loud "Good morning!" is emitted from a nearby blue flower, which, upon closer examination, reveals a curious earthworm who wriggles onto Van Dog's hat. Using ink and watercolor, Herba's stylized illustrations display a folk art quality and saturated palette bursting with whimsical details and color, from marigold to cornflower blue to fuchsia. The scene grows increasingly busy, as more animals and humans wander through--playing, eating, talking, and commenting on Van Dog's painting (which readers have yet to glimpse). Things really go off the rails when Godzilla makes an appearance, but Van Dog diligently works through all the nonsense until his painting is finished and on display for all to see. This wonderfully silly read will tickle readers with its details and unexpected twists. Hand to fans of Geraldo Valéro and Carson Ellis' Du Iz Tak? (2015).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--In this visual feast of a book, a cavalcade of color and creatures cross the pages as Van Dog goes out to create a masterpiece. He goes into the countryside to paint--but the story isn't traditionally written. Words come from sounds, either from the array of bugs and small woodland animals, or the appearance of strange creatures talking. The pleasure comes from seeing the pages become increasingly absurd. The scene fills up with knights, aliens, and even a surprise appearance from Godzilla. It's not linear. It begs readers to linger, discovering hidden corners in the illustrations. Throughout it all, Van Dog calmly paints, until the viewers are treated to his unveiled masterpiece at the end of the book. VERDICT An additional purchase, but an artsy delight, well suited for close observation.--Cat McCarrey
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A wacky, immersive picture book about artistic inspiration. Van Dog is an anthropomorphic canine who loves art. On the first spread, details in the protagonist's home, such as painting supplies and books about artists like Monet and Van Gogh, indicate this passion. Van Dog sets out by bicycle to paint en plein air, finding a spot in an open meadow and declaring, "What a beautiful day to paint." The colorful, cartoonish scene soon becomes abuzz with bugs, worms, and other creatures whose speech balloons invite readers to pore over the pages and take in the visual details and running commentary. Strategic use of perspective denies readers a view of the protagonist's canvas for most of the book, instead focusing attention on Van Dog and on the many characters, fantastic and otherwise, who show up and provide inspiration. The overall presentation of this story, translated from the Polish, is a bit chaotic and may make for a better individual or small-group reading rather than one with a large group. A culminating reveal of the painting at book's end may disappoint some readers since its style is so similar to the art they've seen on prior pages; others, however, may enjoy playing an I Spy sort of game to find characters they observed while Van Dog was painting. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A busy book with a heart for art. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
