Pierre Le Poof

October 26, 2009
This comedic adventure by Beck (Buttercup's Lovely Day
) stars a “pedigreed pooch” who is preparing for the poodle championships. Pierre's training includes sessions on the treadmill, show-dog classes and visits to the pet parlor, but he would rather be running around and playing outside with the other dogs. At the championships, Pierre slips out an open door and “followed his nose to the nearest park.” Though he has fun getting down and dirty with his new pals—chasing squirrels and rolling in “anything he pleased”—he misses Miss Murphy, his beloved owner, and finally makes his way back to her. Kids will get a kick out of Miss Murphy's poodlesque tresses as well as Pierre's transformation into “a glorious mess” during his time on the streets, which Beck depicts in copious detail in both text and art: “He was covered in garbage—chocolate syrup, chewing gum, fish guts and fries, bottle caps, bits of paper, spaghetti and cheese...” (the list goes on). Beck trots out a time-tested theme—there is indeed no place like home—and executes it with pizzazz. Ages 4–8.

February 1, 2010
Preschool-K Lapdog Pierre Le Poof, a pedigreed pooch, lives a pampered life with Miss Murphy but longs to frolic with the dogs in the park. At a practice session for a dog championship, Pierre makes his escape, joins the park dogs, romps after squirrels, and scavenges through garbage, but soon longs for the comforts of home. A few complications thwart him, but he succeeds rather quickly in making his way home, where he must convince the assembled people who is under all that garbage. Dog and owner bear a strong resemblance to each other in airy ink-and-watercolor pictures that delightfully go for the laughs. Pierres plight lacks the subtlety and poignancy of Gene Zions Harry the Dirty Dog (1956), but his mild adventure will amuse preschoolers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)