Home alone

What's a dog to do all day, left home alone? "FRI-FROU-sweetheart," aka Frido, is a winsome dog whose doting owner gives the dog a pat on the head in the morning before she leaves (presumably for work) and the earnest but misplaced reassurance, "Don't worry, the day will go by very fast." Frido, far from devastated at being left home alone, is thrilled. With cheeky aplomb, Frido walks readers through the day. Frido bounces on the bed, takes a peek in the fridge, invites friends over, watches TV (the yoga channel is a favorite), and indulges in many, many other amusing adventures. While the spare narrative delivers dry humor to the story, the lovely stylized illustrations, reminiscent of mid-20th-century modern graphics in both their simple functionality and color palette, really bring it to fruition. Rendered in uncluttered lines and simple shapes on off-white pages, the illustrations are notable for their effective use of negative space and clever overall design that projects action and ambiance with minimal clutter. Frido is drawn in simple lines and a uniform tan/yellow wash but nevertheless conveys a truly impressive variety of expressions and poses. The narrative does drag a bit midstory, when the running gag of yoga pose names and music titles piles on a bit thick, but the ending is back on track. A grand match of dry humor and sweet illustrative delivery. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.