Cookie, the Walker

March 25, 2013
The road to fame is paved with snacks for a dog who eschews convention in Monroe's wryly witty story about the virtues of keeping one's feet on the ground. When Cookie discovers how handy it is to walk on her hind legs, she's on a fast track to the big time: "Well, I can reach the candy dish now... which is great," she tells her supportive but skeptical pal Kevin. A daring walk across a flaming board placed over a kiddie pool filled with snapping turtles is just the beginning: the circus and a Hollywood producer come calling, and Cookie is soon starring in her own TV show. But when an exhausted Cookie receives a proposal to walk around the world, she must make a tough decision. Monroe (the Monkey with a Tool Belt books) explores the pitfalls of fame through deadpan narration and celebrity stereotypes, all captured in tidy comics-style panels. Cookie's relationship with Kevin plays out in several tender exchanges, even as the stalwart dog is unceremoniously shoved out of the way by Cookie's "people." Ages 4â8.

February 15, 2013
A canine parable about the dangers of fame. Cookie is an ordinary dog, except that she walks on two feet instead of four. When questioned by her dog friend Kevin, she explains that being taller has helped her in many situations--especially reaching the candy dish. In fact, she likes walking on two feet so much that she keeps doing it. She walks on a treadmill, up the stairs, down a meandering country path, everywhere. Then she learns to walk on balls, railings and flaming boards across a pool filled with snapping turtles (the logical next step). Her bipedal walking causes so such excitement that she is asked to join the circus. She even gets her own television show! Kevin is excited for Cookie's fortune, but he sees that she is exhausted. Cookie's only chance at survival is to put all four feet on the floor and simply walk away. But can she do it? Monroe's playful illustrations are filled with sly adult asides and plenty of detail for sharp-eyed young readers. Similar to Monroe's first animal hero, Monkey with a Tool Belt (2008, etc.), Cookie has an oversized head and spindly legs, which makes her upright walk all the more amusing. Moral: Fame isn't all that it's cracked up to be, even if it does come with a fanny pack. (Picture book. 4-7)

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March 1, 2013

K-Gr 2-Cookie is no ordinary dog. She discovers that if she walks on her hind legs, she can reach the candy dish, turn on the TV, and get lots of attention not bestowed on ordinary quadrupedal canines. All is well until Cookie gets noticed, first by a dog trainer, then a circus director, and finally by a Hollywood producer. They offer her snacks in exchange for increasingly complicated performances-she even gets her own TV show. Exhausted by the demands of fame, the pup realizes, with some help from a friend, that perhaps being a regular dog is best...unless she wants to reach that candy dish when no one's watching. Part picture book with full-page illustrations, part comic book with speech balloons and panels, the story is illustrated in a cartoonish two-dimensional cartoon style. Funny antics abound-Cookie walking on top of a lion statue, across a flaming board over a pond filled with snapping turtles, or saying "Mall Moo Mitt!" ("I'll do it!") through a mouthful of snacks. Cookie is not quite on a par with Susan Meddaugh's Martha, but her fans may enjoy this spunky talking (and walking) dog.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2013
Preschool-G Oh, fame. How it messes with one's head. In this case, the head belongs to a dog named Cookie. Cookie can expertly walk on her hind legs, which people think is cute. So cute, in fact, that Cookie is booked for a dog show where she walks on a ball across a flaming board over a kiddie pool. This gets her a circus gig and then a TV show. Whenever her friend Kevin comes to visit, Cookie says she is happy. She likes the treats and the fanny pack that come with the job. But as the pressure on her grows, she wavers. And her legs hurt. Can she give it all up? Some of the humor might go past the intended audience (like the way the bigwigs are always, literally, kicking Kevin out the way), but there's so much for them to look at and like, particularly the funny, deadpan moments that occur throughout. Executed in ink and wash, the cartoonish pictures take up full pages, some sprinkled with vignettes, others in panels. This is for more than one readingall the better to get the message across.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)