Dog Loves Drawing

August 13, 2012
In this follow-up to Squish Rabbit, the titular bunny—picture a white balloon animal with a chunky black outline—has a few fears, including storms and chickens. But when his squirrel friend, Twitch, goes missing, Squish faces his greatest fear of all: the dark. Battersby has gentle fun with Squish’s fears (“Squish worried that Twitch was trapped... in the dark... in a storm... with a chicken”) without invalidating or demeaning them. She creates expressive characters with minimalistic lines, and Squish’s world is a delightful collage of felt trees, giant chickens (made from yellow feathers), and torn-paper landscapes. Ages 3–5. Agent: Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management.

July 1, 2012
Crockett Johnson's Harold and Purple Crayon (1955) is a fruitful progenitor, and this descendent gleefully incorporates three distinct visual styles. Dog's enthusiasm hasn't diminished since he opened his bookstore in Dog Loves Books (2010). He leans down from a ladder, handing a book to a customer, then perches atop a stack of books while reading a book with a book open on top of his head. One floppy ear pokes out, and his face shows bliss. The visual style is mild and happy, with black sketched lines deftly conveying emotion and soft colors filling them in. Then a parcel arrives containing a blank sketchbook, and everything changes. Dog draws a door, steps through it and draws a stickman for company in that blank-paged world. Lickety-split, Dog and the stickman are doodle-creating squiggles and more characters (duck, crab, owl). Adventures ensue: train and boat rides, a desert island, a scary monster and a mad dash home. Three aesthetics mingle: the gentle black lines of Dog himself, with his bookstore's watery colors; a doodling style inside the sketchbook-world, which, though less visually interesting, is sweetly childlike; and a lusciously realistic portrayal of art supplies. Never have pencils, brushes and even a pencil sharpener beckoned so temptingly, from opening endpapers to closing (make sure to check both). Dog makes it easy to share his passions. (Picture book. 3-7)

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Starred review from June 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 2-In this follow-up to the adorable Dog Loves Books (Knopf, 2010), the pup receives a blank book as a gift. He quickly realizes that it's a sketchbook, and though initially struck by artist's block, he soon uses his pencils and pens to draw himself some friends, a boat and a train to ride, and food for them to feast on, all of which magically come to life on the page. When one of Dog's new friends draws a monster, though, Dog must quickly use his skills to contain it and create an escape route. While the drawing-comes-to-life conceit is commonly explored in picture books, Yates takes the concept and targets a younger audience to great effect. All of Dog's drawings, from friends to food, look like those of a child, while her depiction of Dog maintains his characteristic style, and illustrations of his tools are more sophisticated. The addition of the monster amps up the action and suspense without turning the story into a truly scary one, making this an adventure for all. This book will inspire and entertain young artists and fun-loving readers alike.-Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.