Found Dogs

June 12, 2017
Dogs of all varieties arrive at a shelter, beginning with one “long and low” dachshund and increasing by the page: “5 dogs, wimpery, whiney./ 6 dogs, spotty, shiny./ 7 dogs, quick and slick./ 8 dogs, teeny-tiny.” Sirotich (J.P. and the Stinky Monster) assures readers—and the dogs—that all will find homes: “Wait, dogs, a little longer.../ Soon, dogs, you’ll be found!” The accompanying cartoons are as cheery as the verse, and as prospective owners meet and adopt dogs, Sirotich counts back down from 10. Beyond the numerical fun, it’s an upbeat reminder of all the perfect matches that are just waiting to be made at the local animal shelter. Ages 2–5. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary.

May 1, 2017
Friendly dogs from an animal shelter are the smiling stars of this counting book, progressing from one dog to 10 and then counting back down from 10 to one.The patterned, rhyming text includes the consecutive numeral for each group of dogs along with a short, descriptive phrase. The groups of canines include many varieties, including "8...teeny-tiny" lap dogs and "10...slobbering hounds," all waiting to be found by new owners. After the 10 groups are introduced, the counting structure is reversed, and the same canine cohorts reappear in order as they meet their new owners. The human characters are of different ethnicities, occupations, and ages, including a white girl who uses a wheelchair. The rhyme scheme uses an unusual aaba pattern, which works for the text when considered as a whole but is somewhat awkward at first reading when separated into phrases across page turns. Pleasant illustrations with thick, black outlines create cheerful personalities for both human and canine characters, except for the group of five dogs, who are "wimpery, whiny" before adoption but "smiling sweet" after finding five children to take them home. A cleverly constructed final spread shows all the dogs and their owners in their homes, peeking out of house, apartment, and fire station windows, with the relevant numerals for each group now serving as house or apartment numbers. An unusual counting book that goes beyond the basics, providing opportunities to reread and recount in different ways. (Picture book. 2-5)

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May 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-In this tail-waggingly fun concept book, Sirotich counts 10 canines in an animal shelter, from "1 dog, long and low" to "10 dogs, slobbering hounds." The narrator reassures the animals that forever homes are right around the corner: "Soon, dogs, you'll be found!" The following spread depicts a cheerful group of people waiting in line to adopt the animals. Next, the author counts down as she presents the dogs with their new owners, starting with the "slobbering hounds," who greet 10 waving humans ("10 dogs, saying hello") and ending with the "long and low" dachshund, who cuddles in the lap of a little girl who uses a wheelchair ("1 dog, on her way"). Every pup has managed to find just the right owner; the "spotty, shiny" dalmatians are eventually paired with firefighters, while the huskies, "dressed for snow," are adopted by a quartet of youngsters clad in boots and hats. Created in ink, using brushes and pen, and composed and colored digitally, the cartoon art is energetic and funny, full of exaggerated details-from the puddles of drool all around the grinning hounds to the droopy expressions on a quintet of pouting pooches-that are bound to delight children. The text is simple yet features plenty of rhyme and alliteration, which adds a dash of verve. VERDICT Share this offering one-on-one or with a group; it's guaranteed to jazz up counting collections and will hopefully send pet seekers off to the pound.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.