Maggie and Michael Get Dressed

February 1, 2016
Michael's mother informs him that it is time to get dressed, but he has other ideas. The caramel-hued, rosy-cheeked preschooler with gingerbread curls and mischievous chocolate-brown eyes chooses to clothe his small dog, Maggie, instead of himself. This early concept book focuses on the colors of the shoes, hats, caps, and socks he puts on the dog. With her trademark style of jewel-toned dyed-paper-pulp paintings, Caldecott Honoree Fleming (In the Small, Small Pond, 1993) elevates this everyday activity. Through her soft, felted lines, readers share the comforting contours of Maggie curled up asleep as well as the pleased, overdressed pup reaching up for a kiss. Care has been taken in the typeface choices to echo the soft edges created by the images, and in the text, the colors' names are highlighted in the corresponding hues and set in a separate, painterly type. The limited language and patterned repetition ("Look, Maggie--socks. Yellow socks") make this text accessible to beginning readers as well as enjoyable as a participatory read-aloud. Visual humor abounds. Readers' view of Michael's mom is of the hem of her stylish, flowered below-the-knee skirt, bare ankles, and ballet flats rushing past the doorway. A marmalade tiger cat and baby sibling watch all of the action from the background, and observant readers will enjoy their Easter-egg feature on the back cover. The joyful celebration of common activity radiates from every page. (Picture book. 2-6)

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February 1, 2016

PreS-K-This beautifully illustrated story by Fleming, using her signature pulp painting technique, is an amusing tale about young Michael's creative attempt to get dressed for the day with the help of his dog Maggie. First, he finds yellow socks. But Maggie runs away with one. When it is returned, the socks end up on Maggie's front paws. Next, it is time to choose a shirt and pants, but those also end up on the pup. When Michael remembers he has forgotten the undies, they become a hat for Maggie! Mom asks if Michael is dressed, and he quickly changes into the clothes that Maggie has been wearing. When Michael returns after his day, his great friend is waiting. An amusing introduction to colors, this simple book has humor in both the text and the illustrations. This story about playing with a puppy while procrastinating about getting dressed is one with which many young children can identify. VERDICT This tale about getting dressed with a hidden lesson about color identification is a delightful sleight of hand.-Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren & Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME

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