Ice Cream & Dinosaurs

May 2, 2016
First-time collaborators Litwin (Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes) and Lichtenheld (Friendshape) inject raucous rhymes and humor into their lesson about sharing: it’s the sugar that helps the medicine go down. Groovy Joe is a laid-back dog with golden fur. When readers first see him, he’s strumming his guitar, serenading a bird. A delicious treat arrives (“Groovy Joe was living the dream/ He had a spoon and a tub of doggy ice cream”), but before he can dig in, a little dinosaur stomps in: “He put on a bib! He pulled up a chair. What did Joe say? ‘It’s awesome to share!’ ” Two larger dinosaurs appear in succession, but Joe’s ready to share with them all. Not even the end of the ice cream stops the fun. This celebration of sharing has everything: an ice cream–themed refrain for kids to shout out, big stomping dinosaurs who can also cut a rug, and a lovable furry dog. A free reading/singing of the story is available online, offering fodder for boisterous readalouds at libraries, daycare, or school. Ages 3–5. Agent: Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency.

June 15, 2016
The author of the first few entries in the wildly popular Pete the Cat series debuts a new series starring Groovy Joe, a guitar-playing, ice cream-loving hound dog. Groovy Joe is rocking out with his pal, a squirrel with sunglasses, as the pair gets ready to share a tub of Haagen Dogs ice cream. Suddenly a little dinosaur roars into the room, putting on a bib and pulling out a spoon in expectation of a scoop of ice cream of his own. Groovy Joe introduces the story's refrain, "It's awesome to share!" as he dishes up some strawberry ice cream for his visitor. But then a big dinosaur bursts in, followed by a huge dinosaur (the only specified female character), who polishes off the rest of the ice cream. Groovy Joe, a calm character like his predecessor Pete the Cat, takes matters in stride, turns over the empty ice cream tub, and uses it as a drum. The whole crew dances and sings a song about sharing and loving their doggy ice cream before marching off into the distance to dream up further entries in the series. Bold illustrations in watercolor and colored pencil are by Lichtenheld, illustrator of Sherri Duskey Rinker's Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site (2011). He clearly knows how to create captivating characters with engaging expressions and amusing antics. As with the Pete the Cat books, a musical version of the text can be downloaded from the publisher's website. Joe isn't quite as cool as Pete, but a catchy tune, dancing dinosaurs, and strawberry ice cream are an enticing combination. Here's hoping Groovy Joe soon meets a female counterpart--perhaps Hep Hilda or Beatnik Betty? (Picture book. 3-8)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-This title has all the elements of a classic Litwin story: fun characters, a heartwarming message, and a catchy song. It also has things that kids love: dogs, dinosaurs, and ice cream. "Groovy Joe saw something yummy. Groovy Joe started rubbing his tummy." So begins the story of Groovy Joe, a guitar-strumming dog who has found himself with some delicious ice cream. So delicious that he has to sing, "Love my doggy ice cream! Love my doggy ice cream!" But his crooning draws the attention of a little dinosaur, a big dinosaur, and a huge dinosaur. They all take out spoons, put on bibs, and pull up chairs. And of course Groovy Joe exclaims, "It's awesome to share!" But what happens when the ice cream runs out and all the dinosaurs are glaring at Joe? Lichtenheld's illustrations are adorable and give all the characters personalities. VERDICT The story is fun and repetitive without being annoying, which makes it a good choice for storytimes, and there's a great message about sharing. A welcome purchase.-Paige Garrison, Augusta Richmond County Library System, GA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2016
Preschool-G When Joe gets groovin' on his guitar, madcap times ensue. The irresistible dog and his sidekick squirrel belt out a cool tune while they slurp up their favorite Haagen Dogs ice cream and gyrate wildly. The accompanying rhythmic song is so tantalizing that, with a ROAR!!, a triceratops stomps in, wielding his spoon for a mouthwatering scoop of his own. As they dance and sing, more dinosaurs burst into the room, with bib, chair, and spoon, as the music rolls on. After sharing the delicious treat, they all march off singing. This is the first of three planned books about Groovy Joe, and collaborators Litwin (creator of the best-selling Pete the Cat series) and Lichtenheld (Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, 2011) plan for this character-based franchise to include board books, readers, novelty books, and songs for downloading. Children will want to move and groove along with the mischievous and playful dog and his hefty and humorous friends in this colorful rhyming story, which is sure to capture lots of attention. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Both Litwin and Lichtenheld are reliable hits with young readers, and this franchise kickoff plays right into their niche.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)