Blue Daisy

November 1, 2019
A homeless dog transforms a neighborhood. When a skinny, filthy dog suddenly appears, next-door neighbors Sam and Katie immediately notice. They watch her get shooed out of the Wilson sisters' flower garden. They see the Tracy twins (the biggest, meanest kids in their grade) throwing rocks and chasing her on their bikes. As Sam and Katie search everywhere for the dog, the Tracy twins are also looking for her. Discovering the dog asleep under a table Sam's father just painted blue, Sam and Katie are inexplicably spurred to paint a blue daisy on her back, prompting neighbors to take notice and call her Blue Daisy. Sam and Katie feel Blue Daisy should be their dog since they're "the ones who like her best," but they also feel guilty about painting her. They don't understand why Blue Daisy prefers the Tracy twins, but those mean kids have somehow earned her trust. In alternating voices, Sam and Katie tell the story of how Blue Daisy finds a home and how they find new friends, with Sam speaking in verse, Katie in prose in a different typeset; speech in both portions is indicated by italics rather than quotation marks. Black-and-white illustrations capture key events and depict most core characters with pale skin; a recipe section includes a couple of Blue Daisy's favorite treats. An easy-to-read, heartwarming lesson in trust-building. (recipes; author's note) (Fiction. 7-10)

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January 27, 2020
Intrigued by the unfamiliar filthy dog trotting through their yards one summer day, young neighbors Sam and Katie set out to learn more about the stray and, they hope, persuade their parents to let them keep it. After seeing their neighbors treat the dog badly—the grumpy, gardening Wilson sisters shoo it away from their flower beds, and mean kids Michael and Madison Tracey throw rocks at it—the friends are eager to help. But they feel guilty after making their own inconsiderate choice, painting a blue daisy on the pup’s back, and worry about their chances of winning the dog’s affection. Alternating chapters in differing styles, poetry for Sam and prose for Katie, help to convey how each character communicates; Sam seems restrained alongside Katie’s constant clip. Apologies offer weight in this slim volume by Frost (Applesauce Weather), and result in a more generous view of neighbors and a realization that even kind people can make mistakes. Black-and-white illustrations by Shepperson (Can I Just Take a Nap?) portray the neighborhood and its mostly white inhabitants; two accompanying recipes, inspired by a baking neighbor, conclude. Ages 7–10. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown.

February 1, 2020

Gr 2-4-This novel in verse alternates between the perspectives of two neighbor friends, Sam and Katie. One day, a skinny, unwashed dog walks through both of their yards. Sam and Katie witness the dog being mistreated by a number of their neighbors and are curious when the animal later returns to Sam's house. Sam's dad was outside painting an old table blue-when he goes inside, Sam and Katie get the odd idea to paint the dog; they end up drawing a blue daisy on her, even though they know it's wrong. Then, Blue Daisy ends up getting lost in the neighborhood. When Katie and Sam finally find her, they are disappointed to see that she is with neighborhood kids that they don't like, Michael and Miranda. But when Blue Daisy disappears again and ends up in trouble, the four kids rescue her together and forge a tentative friendship in the process. Even though the story is well written, the novel's format doesn't quite work. The text's tone feels disjointed, and the peripheral characters' mistreatment of Daisy goes somewhat unresolved. VERDICT Suitable for libraries where there is an interest in morality tales and dog stories.-Jill Baetiong, Bloomingdale Public Library, IL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2020
Grades 1-4 A scruffy stray dog attracts the attention of some neighborhood children in Frost's slim, illustrated book. Dual protagonists Sam and Katie distinctly narrate their experiences, with Sam's sections appearing in rhyming verse and Katie's in standard prose. When these two friends find the pup sleeping in Sam's yard, they are inexplicably compelled to use some pretty blue paint to brush a flower onto the stray's dirty coat, thus christening her Blue Daisy. Understandably, Blue Daisy doesn't appreciate being painted and runs off. The book then switches gears, as Sam and Kate are struck with remorse for their actions and grapple with the realization that, though good kids, they've clearly done something bad. Positive examples of parenting offer the children guidance as they learn important lessons in responsibility, forgiveness, and understanding, and a happy ending levels the playing field between good and bad kids through friendship and a home for Blue Daisy. Back matter features recipes connected to the story, and the note on poetry and prose easily ties the book to language arts lessons.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)