Walk Your Dog

April 15, 2018
A child and a dog go through their day together.With nary an adult in sight, the 4- or 5-year-old unnamed child with messy brown pigtails takes charge, brushing the dog in a messy bathroom, feeding the dog at a little table where it wreaks havoc, dressing the canine in all sorts of outfits, and finally taking it outdoors, where the duo meets a small gold-and-brown cat. The dog gets away from its owner and merrily chases the cat through the park, until the child falls in the mud and finally catches the leash again, just in time for ice cream. With just three words in each spread and only the verb varying ("Train your dog. / Treat your dog"), the watercolor-and-colored-pencil art provides delightful details, sometimes using animation strategies to advance the action, as in the "Train your dog" spread, in which the child first glares at the dog, the dog then licks the child, the child instructs the dog, and finally, in a full-page illustration, the dog sits and wags its tail, drawn as three tails with arcing motion lines crossing them. The suburban setting is shown in soft, light pastel hues, while the big, brown dog is given texture with pencil. The minimal text works well with the maximal visual storytelling.Beginning readers will be able to read this refreshing tale alone; younger kids will tell it from the pictures. (Picture book. 3-6)

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May 7, 2018
Pet care seems like it’s all fun and games—and a cinch to boot: “Greet your dog. Groom your dog. Feed your dog,” instructs the narrator. But the slyly funny, watercolor-and-pencil pictures tell a different story. The girl protagonist soon discovers that her scruffy, affectionate, and boundlessly energetic dog has ideas—and a personality—of his own. He’s certainly not into being dressed up: Hudson offers a classic example of canine side-eye when the girl attempts to “dress your dog” with a tutu, bunny slippers, and other dog-unfriendly clothing from her closet. As for the titular walk, it turns into a frantic chase that careens through the park and right through a mud puddle. While the text doesn’t break its repetitive rhythm, it becomes more comically emphatic: “Chase your dog. Catch your dog.” But the crisis passes and even leads to a deeper mutual understanding, as well as a rollicking interspecies bath in the backyard pool. As readers will recognize early on, the owner and her dog are really two of a kind. Ages 3–7. Author and illustrator’s agent: Danielle Smith, Red Fox Literary.

June 1, 2018

PreS-K-With sweet pictures and simple text, Omlor and Hudson take readers through one day in the life of a little girl and her happy, but not always well-trained pet. The story begins and ends with the little girl and the dog in her bedroom. In between, the story follows their activities over the course of one day, and each spread contains just three words-a verb and the phrase "your dog." Only the verb varies as the story progresses. The little girl must greet, groom, feed, dress, walk, chase, catch, train, treat, clean, settle, and love her dog. The simplicity and repetition of the words will give confidence to beginning readers. The illustrations are humorous and detailed, adding additional information to the story and well as capturing the ever-changing emotions of the little girl as she tries to control her dog. Although the story shows that having a pet is a lot of work and can be frustrating, it also shows the rewards of dog ownership. VERDICT A solid addition for most picture book collections. Perfect for early readers who are dog lovers.-Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, CA

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