Loose Leashes

December 8, 2008
Dogs do the darnedest things in this collection of poem and photo tributes. They turn the bathroom sink into a home spa (“I Will Not Go to the Groomer”), overcome fears (“Learning to Swim”) and take the great American road trip (the title poem). Ron Schmidt's photography won't make William Wegman nervous; he doesn't push his subjects much beyond cute anthropomorphizing (a greyhound wearing Harry Potter–style glasses perches atop a stack of books), although he does produce a couple of marvels: a Weimaraner with all four paws seemingly tricked out in ice skates poses alone on a frozen pond; and a pair of Labs rows a boat, oars gripped in their mouths. Amy Schmidt's poems are more notable for their variety than for their wit or use of language: the genres include free verse, limerick, rollicking ballad and even haiku: “Out among the pines/ A laberjack spends his day./ Timber!/ A tree falls.” Ages 3–8.

November 15, 2008
From a Boston terrier blowing a giant pink bubble to a solemn Weimaraner on artfully placed ice skates, this picture book plays sometimes amusing games with illustrations and viewers ' minds. Each full-page photograph of a dog (or two) is accompanied by a brief poem. An Italian greyhound poses on a stack of books, his eyes enormously magnified by oversized eyeglasses ( "There once was a dog that could read / With amazing page-turning speed "); a Labrador retriever lugs an axe, a spruce strapped to his back ( "Out among the pines / A laberjack spends his day. / Timber! A tree falls "). The poems are followed by two pages of "Furry Facts, " brief, fan-magazine –style bios of the animals with their favorite songs, pet peeves, etc. For example, the bespectacled Monte "once took a class to become a Seeing Eye dog. " The result is unbridled preciosity. For those who find hilarity in anthropomorphism this may be a desirable read, but it is difficult to see any need to add it to any but the largest poetry collections. (Poetry. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2008) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

February 1, 2009
K-Gr 4-This brief collection pairs 16 simple poems with full-color photographs of dogs wearing clothes, hats, and glasses, and posed in various human activities such as driving a toy car or blowing a large pink chewing-gum bubble. The critters are cute, though some also look uncomfortable, such as the pooch posed shakily atop two pair of ice skates on a frozen pond. The poems are unmemorable, including the title selection: "My leash was loose, /So now I'm off/To see the world, /Out on my own./Down country roads/And city streets, /In my red car, /Free and alone./Armed with my map, /I'm going far-/Just need to learn to drive this car." An appended spread of "Furry Facts" elaborates on each featured canine's character, including favorite songs and pet peeves."Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2009
Grades K-2 There are two schools of thoughtwhen it comes todog photography: (1) action snapshots, complete with mud and drool, and (2) posed portraits, complete withconcepts and props. The Schmidts take the latter approach in this handsomely shot collection of cute doggies placed into all kinds of goofy scenarios. Youll find a corgi driving a car, a Weimaraner on ice skates, a pug wearing swimming goggles, and a bathing Lab with a rubber ducky on his head. The look and feel is one of a 12-month calendar, with some photos in bright colors, others in sepia tones or black and white. Each photograph is paired with rhyming text of varying lengths. Some of the attempts at humor fall flat, but much of it complements the pictures nicely (I need a little privacy, / Some quiet time to think. / So if youll kindly draw my bath, /Ill soak here in the sink, says a tiny Yorkie). The Furry Factsin the back mattergive insight into each pooch, though breed names are a glaring omission.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)