★ 11/05/2018Fox & Chick: The Party and Other Stories ) stars a boy in a green T-shirt that doesn’t quite meet his shorts. He has an exceedingly well-trained dog, and the comedy comes from the boy’s increasingly improbable commands. “Sit,” the boy says to the dog. “Stay. Roll over.” Pretty soon, they’re off to harder things: “Juggle,” the boy directs, and the hound obligingly lofts a ball of yarn, a bone, a liquid-filled drinking glass, and more. The dog cooks a meal and serves it, repairs a boat and sails the boy to an island, then the two blast into outer space (“Go,” says the boy from inside the rocket they’ve built). The unflappable child never seems surprised by his canine’s superb competence, and he’s willing to help out where necessary. When the duo opens the door to venture outside, ink-and-watercolor spot illustrations open out into views of land and sea bathed in warm, golden light. The sparse text, the tidiness with which Ruzzier works out his concept, and the endearing qualities of his two heroes make the book a small classic. Ages 4–8. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Feb.)
* "Gently and sweetly, the dog morphs from pet to pal to parent figure as, finally safe at home, the obedient canine tucks the boy into bed and reads him a story. There’s no alpha male here, just two genial, respectful, loving creatures. An original premise, a bare-bones text of thirty-two words, perfect picture-book pacing, and deliciously transparent watercolors combine for an emotional punch."
starred review The Horn Book
* "Now this is how to train a dog! . . . One or two words per page and help from the illustrations make this an accessible easy reader. What, at first, appears to be a customary story of a boy and his dog turns out to be so much more—and so much more fun."
With lovely art that turns effortlessly surreal, that’s all it takes to tell a clever, comical story of a truly mutual relationship.
The New York Times Book Review
★ Winter 2018
PreS-Gr 1— A boy and his dog take an unexpected journey in this picture book for early readers. The simple narrative begins with a light-skinned, blond-haired boy and his similarly golden-haired dog scampering across plenty of white space. The boy's commands for the dog appear in large, black text: "Sit. Stay. Roll over." The dog's skills are more advanced than one would expect, however, as the next spread sees him "Stand. Shake. Bow." From there, it becomes clear that this canine has more in common with Gromit than with the average house pet. While he can certainly "Fetch" and "Jump," he can also "Juggle," "Cook. Serve," and "Clean." After sharing a meal, the two friends venture outdoors into a strikingly colorful landscape, taking a bike, a boat, and eventually a rocket ship on a brief, out-of-this world trip. The day ends with the dog tucking in his boy with a story, a song, and after the boy's request to "Stay," a snuggle. Ruzzier's distinctive cartoon-style, ink and watercolor illustrations propel most of the story, offering plenty of visual interest and cues for pre-readers to decode the limited text. The boy, with his drooping socks, and his belly occasionally protruding from under his T-shirt, is realistically childlike and charming. VERDICT A simple yet surprising friendship story, perfect for preschool audiences and for those just beginning to read. A first purchase.—Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN
2018-10-15
A little boy and his dog share experiences at home and out in the wider world, including a trip to another planet.
The unnamed boy has light skin and golden hair in the same shade as his faithful companion, a midsized dog with beady eyes and a round nose like his owner. At first the boy is in charge, apparently giving the dog traditional commands such as "Sit" and "Stay." The dog becomes more of a peer as he begins to stand on two legs and act like a human, cooking and eating dinner and helping sail a boat to a mysterious island. The pair build a rocket ship and fly to another planet, where they speak to some ETs before flying back home. A satisfying conclusion finds the dog reading and singing with the boy at bedtime before a reprise of the command—or is it a request, or simply a description of the action?—"Stay," and the concluding words, "Good boy." The final double-page spread shows the pair tucked in bed, two good boys asleep together. The story unfolds entirely in one- or two-word phrases that can be interpreted as commands to the dog or as succinct summations of the action depicted on each page. Soft-focus watercolor-and-ink illustrations in subdued shades convey a dreamy atmosphere that makes the unfettered lives of this pair believable.
The bond between the golden-haired duo is quietly conveyed with an imaginative charm that deepens on subsequent readings. (Picture book. 3-7)
