A promising series opener that will leave readers primed for more charming, small-town, canine adventures.
Pups publishing? Yes, and also reading, operating machines, and solving problems.
Gizmo, a big-city dog, finds his life drastically altered when his human, Granny—a gray-haired, bespectacled, scooter-riding journalist—moves to the countryside to write a memoir, taking him along. Gizmo, who hates “getting his paws wet,” is nervous about making new friends and living in a village named Puddle. When Jilly, an Irish wolfhound, introduces Gizmo to all the dogs in the area, the first problem is solved. Jilly has her own problem—her pups are about to be sold off. After homes have been found for Jilly’s puppies, another dilemma is introduced: Jilly can’t read. That difficulty is also quickly resolved. The final pages see the dogs publishing the first issue of The Daily Bark and provide an obvious setup for future books in the series. Illustrations on every spread may help youngsters transitioning to a longer novel format, but text and pictures do not always match. British terms (like tucked in to mean eating) and references to antiquated equipment (a Polaroid camera and a typewriter) invite young American readers to broaden their perspectives. Gizmo’s dislike of water is handled inconsistently; he’s miserable when he falls into a water trough but doesn’t object when Granny gives him a bath.
A promising series opener that will leave readers primed for more charming, small-town, canine adventures. (Illustrated text. 6-9)Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0881-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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