Goodnight, Good Dog/Buenas noches, perrito bueno: Bilingual English-Spanish

"The dog knows the click of the lamp when the light is turned off," begins this quiet bedtime book. But the dog, who looks like a puppy, isn't ready to sleep. As he wanders through the house, he hears familiar night sounds and notices familiar shadows. He reaches his soft-looking, round bed, but he is not ready to sleep. Instead, he remembers his day. He recalls familiar words, such as come and good dog. Walking upstairs, he checks on the girl sleeping in her bedroom. Soon, back in his own bed, he lies down and slowly falls asleep. Ray's pleasing text recreates the dog's experiences without a wasted word. The illustrations expand the narrative and express its tone visually. Created with acrylics, the artwork features firm black lines defining characters, objects, and settings, while subtly modulated colors shape the forms in a series of shadowy, nighttime scenes. In contrast, a few bright white pages feature just the dog and his bed. A satisfying picture book that's just right for bedtime reading. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

There's a famous Onion headline, "Dog Experiences Best Day of His Life for 400th Consecutive Day," that essentially describes where Ray and Malone's small yellow dog is coming from. His owner, a girl with braids, has bid him goodnight; the house has become "moon quiet"; and his "moon-round bed" beckons. But how can he settle down after a wonderful day of running in the grass, chasing the "yellow ball of sun bouncing across the sky," and eating a bowlful of food? Ray, who prose was so captivating in Stars, again proves herself a gifted writer, capable of highly distilled poetic prose that's beautifully accessible and allusive. Malone's (Hug Hug!) bright acrylics, simple shapes, and minimalist detailing (two highly expressive dots stand in for the dog's eyes) are a terrific match; her canine hero is endearingly eager and trying to behave, yet certain that the world revolves around him. When he does finally fall asleep, lulled by the same memories that were keeping him awake, he becomes an excellent role model for readers, as well. Ages 4–7. Author's agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Nov.)

PreS-Gr 1—Rich acrylics with thick black outlines create a fuzzy, sleepy atmosphere, but the young dog is not ready for bed yet. He knows the sounds and visual cues that portend bedtime, from the click of the lamp to the shadows in the corners, but he still longs for all the bouncing and chasing of the day. As he catalogs the day's memories ("He remembers words he knows—like come and good dog and goodnight"), readers and listeners will notice him slowing down even as he denies tiredness. The succinct text has a moving, lullaby quality and works beautifully with the expressive illustrations. The soft, opaque colors and rounded shapes darken with bedtime, making the house feel quiet and the beds (as well as the sweet yellow dog) look cuddly. Finally, the pup curls up in his own "moon-round" bed even though he is not sleepy ("Or, only a little. Just a little."), and a sequence of spot art depicts him getting comfortable. He decides to try to dream back the sun…and finally he does. This snuggly bedtime story shows the dog's girl going happily and quickly to sleep while he pads restlessly about the house, creating a potentially empowering contrast for human bedtime resisters. VERDICT A dog lover's delight and a sweet bedtime read.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA