Hello, Hot Dog

February 1, 2018
This energetic picture book pits a hot dog's rudimentary survival instinct against appetites both human and canine."Hello, Hot Dog," greets the omniscient narrator. "HELLO!" says the hot dog, eyes wide in manic glee. It's happily "chillin' out on this comfy bread, with some corn and a couple of fries" until an approaching ketchup bottle indicates its fate as lunch. First the hot dog comes up with a seven-part plan to escape, involving a triple backflip and a napkin MacGyver-ed into a parachute. Unfortunately, hot dogs lack the necessary physical dexterity, but after a brief flirtation with surrender it heroically rolls out of the bun. It's a daring escape, almost thwarted at the last minute by a hungry dog--luckily for our delicious hero, this dog doesn't like mustard. The illustrations are bright and blocky and reminiscent of a sunny picnic afternoon, easily shifting from a tight close-up of a terrified sausage to a hand's ominous shadow, and the text alternates between sedate type and scrawled dialogue. The hot dog's expressions are a pure delight on their own. Offering endless possibilities for different voices and performance styles, this book is a surefire hit to read aloud, with hilarity, suspense, and pathos perfect for children developing responses to these stimuli. (Picture book. 3-7)

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April 1, 2018
Preschool-G It isn't easy being a hot dog, and Hot Dog, the cylindrical star of this riotous picture book can prove it: he's about to be LUNCH! The first sign of danger? Condiments. As Hot Dog lounges in his cozy bun, a ketchup bottle looms ever closer. Soon, flecks of ketchup and mustard dribble down his beefy torso. Next, a hulking, shadowy hand approaches the plate. Lucky for Hot Dog?and the reader?the narrator blurts out advice ( Run, Hot Dog, run! ) from the sidelines. While Hot Dog may not have any legs, he does have a trick or two up his casing. Murray's clever dialogue, alternating between the narrator's deadpan quips and Hot Dog's ballooned exclamations, will prompt uproarious read-alouds. Jarvis' jauntily scrawled figures and cheery 1950s-diner-inspired palette?heavy in blue, red, and yellow?playfully temper Hot Dog's increasingly dire straits. With his enormous pupils and enterprising spirit, Hot Dog will quickly worm his way into readers' hearts. There's no doubt: this sidesplitting romp is one to relish.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)