Two Dogs on a Trike

March 15, 2020
Careening canine countdowns have never been so much fun! An inadvertently opened gate beckons, and an adventurous spotted pooch clad in striped leggings and slick boots makes a stealthy getaway with an obliging trike-riding poodle. However, the stern, ever vigilant family cat is not caught unawares. Quickly donning running gear, the determinedly resourceful feline is soon on the tail of not one, not two, but ultimately nine thrill-seeking, barking fugitives. Pizza on a train, busting a groove on a ferry--no chance to party is overlooked. Discarding in turn every mode of pursuit along the way, from skates to helicopter, the intrepid calico finally faces down the drooling mob inside a--spaceship! The panicked dogs backtrack until the original troublemaker is finally locked behind bars. The End--or is it? One paw lick later, two cats on a trike take off with a skateboarding mouse in hot pursuit....Trolleys, trains, ferries, hot air balloons, and more fondly evoke the energy of P.D. Eastman's Go, Dog. Go! (1961). Snyder's spare, snappy rhymes give Rosenthal all the fuel needed to hilariously execute eye-popping images of raucous canine chaos. From a guitar-playing dachshund in a cone of shame to a boat-driving pug, this tongue-lolling wild bunch can really get it on. This fur-raising one-to-10-and-back-again counting book perfectly captures the rollicking, manic joy of dogs off the leash. (Picture book. 3-7)

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May 1, 2020

Toddler-K-The rivalry between dogs and cats is on display in this transportation and counting title. From one dog standing alone to ten dogs on a spaceship, each step of the way, a cat doggedly follows along on a different vehicle. When the dogs recognize the cat, there is panic and a quick countdown from ten, as the dogs flee on various vehicles until again, "one dog stands alone." Uncluttered illustrations with plenty of white space depict a variety of dogs on different kinds of vehicles which readers will delight in identifying, along with the humorous expressions of the dogs and the nonplussed cat. VERDICT A recommended purhcase. The rhyming phrases make this title an ideal read-aloud, and the simple counting up and down from 1 to 10 builds early math skills.-Ramarie Beaver, formerly at Plano Public Library, TX

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