★ 01/12/2015
In Nest, Hurley offered a close study of a robin family and its habitat; here, she takes a more playful tack, following a dog’s pursuit of a ball at the beach, while maintaining the aesthetic precision of the previous book. Expanses of creamy blue and taupe instantly establish the seaside setting, and Hurley again keeps her text to one word per scene: a vertically oriented spread that reads “swim” shows the dog paddling after the ball while clownfish dart below. Seals, gulls, and even a shark make appearances, but the dog’s joyful frolics are the story’s focus and delight. Ages 3–7. Agent: Laurie Abkemeier, DeFiore and Company. (Feb.)
"Jorey Hurley follows up her astonishing picture book Nest, about a robin's life cycle, with a joyful investigation of a dog at play . . . A playful followup."
A day at the seaside is a joyous adventure for the Labrador retriever protagonist of this restricted-vocabulary picture book. Each spread has a verb describing the pooch’s action as she chases after her beloved red ball; “fetch” when it’s tossed, “search” when she’s hunting for the ball bobbing on the waves, “splash” when she paddles out toward it, etc. As the dog pursues the prize, she engages with local wildlife, passing a moment with some seagulls and sporting with some dolphins, until finally she brings the ball back to her beloved little girl for an inevitable eager “again?” While there’s plenty of readaloud hay to be made of this (a “guess the word” challenge would elicit some energetic participation), it’s beginning readers who will really appreciate the easy gamesmanship of figuring out the single word per spread and the genuine story behind the spare text. Digital art has the smooth solidity of cut-paper collage shapes, especially in the sandy figure of the dog, whose poses are well-observed authentic canine moves...the surprise discovery of various marine animals will provide audi- ences/readers with added diversion. This is rife with language arts potential, and it’ll make a lively next step after Sullivan’s one-word wonder, Ball (BCCB 5/13). DS
A day at the seaside is a joyous adventure for the Labrador retriever protagonist of this restricted-vocabulary picture book. Each spread has a verb describing the pooch’s action as she chases after her beloved red ball; “fetch” when it’s tossed, “search” when she’s hunting for the ball bobbing on the waves, “splash” when she paddles out toward it, etc. As the dog pursues the prize, she engages with local wildlife, passing a moment with some seagulls and sporting with some dolphins, until finally she brings the ball back to her beloved little girl for an inevitable eager “again?” While there’s plenty of readaloud hay to be made of this (a “guess the word” challenge would elicit some energetic participation), it’s beginning readers who will really appreciate the easy gamesmanship of figuring out the single word per spread and the genuine story behind the spare text. Digital art has the smooth solidity of cut-paper collage shapes, especially in the sandy figure of the dog, whose poses are well-observed authentic canine moves...the surprise discovery of various marine animals will provide audi- ences/readers with added diversion. This is rife with language arts potential, and it’ll make a lively next step after Sullivan’s one-word wonder, Ball (BCCB 5/13). DS
01/01/2015
PreS-Gr 1—From the author of Nest (S. & S., 2014) comes another spare and beautiful outdoor adventure. One day at the beach, a big dog's red ball is thrown into the water. "Splash!" And he's off to "swim," "dive," and "seek" that ball. Using only 15 words in total, Hurley takes the canine and readers on a delightful and fanciful romp. Children watch as the waves "crash" over him, see his playful stance when he meets some curious seagulls, and on one of two vertical spreads, are captivated as the dog floats at the water's surface while down near the ocean floor a shark gains on his fishy prey. Returning triumphantly to his owner with the ball, the eager pup is ready to do it all "again?" An author's note explains that all of the creatures and plants the dog encounters may be found off the West coast of North America. The palette of blues, greens, grays, browns, and white masterfully evokes the ocean and beach. Occasional use of red adds impact and vitality to the full-page illustrations. Whether this book is enjoyed one-on-one or with a group, requests for repeated readings are sure to follow. Recommended for all, but a must where Hurley's previous book is popular.—Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY
2014-11-04
At the beach, a dog's game of fetch becomes an exploration of the natural environment. A retriever splashes into the water in pursuit of a beloved red ball and in so doing offers readers a fantastical canine perspective of coastal life. As the determined dog swims, dives and plays, a school of rockfish flurries below, a harbor seal peers through kelp, and several dolphins cruise by. As she did in Nest (2014), Hurley limits herself to one word per spread, each one thoughtfully designed and executed. Vertically turned spreads reveal the water's depth, and readers' eyes must move—to the right as the dog journeys away and back left to the point of origin, as the dog returns to the owner, to home. While the story arc is clear, and the minimalistic approach in both text and illustration is pleasing, this lacks the pizzazz of the author's debut work, where the change of seasons provided a more dynamic visual display. Here, the cool palette combined with the flat, graphic style does not have the same climatic effect—perhaps if done in silk screen rather than digitally, it would be more compelling. Still, there is much for the dog lover and coastal dweller to enjoy. Attractive and crisp. (Picture book. 3-5)
