NO, NO, JACK!
by Ron Hirsch & illustrated by Pierre Pratt
A mischievous pooch engages his family in a game of seek and find. Jack gleefully stows a family member’s belonging in a nearby closet, patiently standing guard until they come searching for the item. Hirsch’s tale fully engages readers, encouraging them to hone rudimentary deductive reasoning skills. He presents a simple scenario in which a specific object is needed to complete a task: mother needs something to bang the nail in the wall, Andy has to transport sand to the sandbox, and baby needs something to cover its bare tush. Readers can guess the answers and then open the flap of the closet door to discover the appropriate item. A turn of the page shows Jack darting off with his bounty while the family entreats him to bring it back. A special surprise awaits Jack at tale’s end, one he gets to keep for himself. Full-bleed acrylic illustrations on heavy paper depict willowy, sylph-like parents and a pair of stout, round-headed offspring. Snowy white with the exception of a sooty ear and tail, Jack is the star of the show. A sly grin on his face and tail held jauntily aloft artfully express the canine’s delight in his favorite game. A playful tale to share with little ones. (Picture book. 2-5)