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THIS IS THE WAY IN DOGTOWN

Name: THIS IS THE WAY IN DOGTOWN
Author: Ya-Ling Huang
ISBN: 9780711295339

by Ya-Ling Huang ; illustrated by Ya-Ling Huang ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2024

A delightfully entertaining and musical way to get through the day.

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Text set to a well-known ditty makes for an enjoyable romp with pups.

In this rollicking book meant to be read (or, better yet, sung) to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush,” cheery anthropomorphic pooches engage in activities with family and friends at home and in familiar neighborhood settings. The dogs brush their teeth, get dressed, go to school, and go swimming before heading home for dinner, baths, and bed. Each stanza ends with a three-word, rhythmic coda to heighten dramatic emphasis and add meaning: “This is the way we brush our teeth, / brush our teeth, brush our teeth. / This is the way we brush our teeth, / early in the morning. / Brush, brush, brush!” Bouncy vocabulary, often making use of onomatopoeia (“splat, splat, splat!” “Splish, splash, splosh!”), adds to the fun. Lively scenes, rendered in watercolor, gouache, color pencil, and collage, have a cozy, intimate, old-fashioned feeling. Though the story focuses on one fluffy white pooch, a variety of dog breeds are depicted, and the busy but never overwhelming pages are filled with details to pore over, from a St. Bernard pup reaching for a dumpling with a pair of chopsticks at lunch to a group of sea gulls pecking at discarded food in the street. Adults should encourage children to ad-lib verses to the song when they go about their own activities.

A delightfully entertaining and musical way to get through the day. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: June 4, 2024

ISBN: 9780711295339

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Frances Lincoln

Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

- BOOK REVIEW
FROM HERE TO THERE
by Vivian French ; illustrated by Ya-Ling Huang

- BOOK REVIEW
AND I THINK ABOUT YOU
by Rosanne L. Kurstedt ; illustrated by Ya-Ling Huang

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

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A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3

Page Count: 16

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ANIMAL SHAPES

by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.

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You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!

What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)