Boss for a Day

October 15, 2001
Originally introduced in Meet the Barkers, canines Morgan and Moffat return in Tomie dePaola's Boss for a Day. In this addition to the All Aboard Reading series, dePaola's pooches try trading places. In Hide-and-Seek All Week, endless haggling keeps the game from going forward.

February 1, 2002
PreS-Gr 2-The friendly dog twins are back. Moffie is 10 minutes older than Morgie and likes to control every situation. After Mama talks to her about being too bossy, Moffie decides to let her brother be Boss for a Day. Since he is unaccustomed to taking charge, she shows him how, making every decision about what they should wear, eat, and play. In Hide-and-Seek, the siblings and their friends want to play hide-and-seek during recess. However, it takes them all week long to decide on the rules. Clever details include the bulletin board that changes daily and the reoccurring illustrated recess bell with the hand-lettered "RING!" that visually mimics the sound. The charming illustrations done in cheerful colors and with expressive characters complement both texts. Beginning readers will love these entertaining additions.-Debbie Stewart, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2002
Reviewed with Tomie dePaola's "Hide-and-Seek All Week."

Gr. 1-2. The Barkers series features twin dogs Moffie and Morgie, who dress and act like elementary school children. "Boss" reveals that "Moffie liked being the boss. After all, she was ten minutes older than Morgie." So practiced are they in their roles that even when Moffie announces that Morgie will be the boss for a day, Morgie finds that he doesn't know how to make things go his way. And though she thinks she's being submissive, Moffie often takes charge. "Hide-and-Seek" follows a group of classmates through a week of recesses, which they spend deciding on the rules of hide-and-seek, rather than playing the game. Here dePaola captures the seemingly interminable negotiation that is a crucial part of children's play. Well grounded in their observation of child behavior, these stories feature believable characters and situations familiar to children. Expressive drawings, textured with patterns and lit with glowing color underscore the rueful humor of the stories. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)