What puppies do best
(Book)

The team behind What Brothers Do Best/What Sisters Do Best turns its attention to four-legged family members, making it clear that puppies do certain things very well: for example, chasing a ball, learning how to sit, digging holes, and making messes. Munsinger's tender mixed-media illustrations depict puppies of all breeds engaged in tail wagging, tongue licking, and shaking off water, while children from different families play with and care for them. And what do puppies do very best? They "give you lots and lots of love." A simple and sweet lesson about the rewards of pet ownership. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 2-Highlighting one activity per page, this book covers the gamut of puppy life, including chasing a ball, learning to sit, and shaking a paw. On each page an adorable pup performs a common action with its owner, including some unpleasant realities: "Puppies can dig holes in the yard, track mud into the house, and make a big mess." Sure enough, each picture perfectly displays these situations. In the end, it's all worth it since "puppies can give you lots and lots of love." Cheerful watercolor illustrations capture the fun of life with a young dog. With a diverse cast of children and canines, readers will identify with someone or some puppy that they know firsthand. This book will find a wide audience.-Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

What's cuter than a puppy? Puppies with children, as this book effectively demonstrates.With basic, minimal text and appropriate illustrations, Numeroff and Munsinger lead the reader through pretty much the entire puppy repertoirewith a variety of puppy breeds and ownersfrom kissing and chasing a ball to digging a hole and tracking mud into the house. "Puppies can play tug-of-war, / take a bath, / and get you all wet." Also run in circles, roll over for a belly-rub, go on walks, snuggle, etc. "But best of all..." Numeroff concludes, "puppies can give you lots and lots of love." This modest and winning canine love letter is perfectly pitched to the very young and will transition well to use with emergent readers. The well-chosen type size and style help in this area, as well. From the first picture of a toddler holding out a red ball for a begging puppy to the final two-page spread of smiling children hugging their pets, Munsinger's illustrations, in watercolor, pen and ink, and pencil, capture both the cuteness and the antics of puppies. There's not an extraneous word in the story or figure in the picturesthough readers accustomed to the formula established in such works as What Grandmas Do Best/What Grandpas Do Best (2000) will wonder why there is no dos--dos What Kittens Do Best.Utterly adorable. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The team behind What Brothers Do Best/What Sisters Do Best turns its attention to four-legged family members, making it clear that puppies do certain things very well: for example, chasing a ball, learning how to sit, digging holes, and making messes. Munsinger's tender mixed-media illustrations depict puppies of all breeds engaged in tail wagging, tongue licking, and shaking off water, while children from different families play with and care for them. And what do puppies do very best? They "give you lots and lots of love." A simple and sweet lesson about the rewards of pet ownership. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 2—Highlighting one activity per page, this book covers the gamut of puppy life, including chasing a ball, learning to sit, and shaking a paw. On each page an adorable pup performs a common action with its owner, including some unpleasant realities: "Puppies can dig holes in the yard, track mud into the house, and make a big mess." Sure enough, each picture perfectly displays these situations. In the end, it's all worth it since "puppies can give you lots and lots of love." Cheerful watercolor illustrations capture the fun of life with a young dog. With a diverse cast of children and canines, readers will identify with someone or some puppy that they know firsthand. This book will find a wide audience.—Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ