BookLife Reviews
01/08/2024
Kosmos’s humorous story for middle-grade readers follows a girl named Maya as she overcomes her fears and learns to care for her new puppy. Maya lives on fictional Puddin’ Head Island, where everyone wears red and is taught to hate the Sweeties, who favor the color blue. Maya, meanwhile, prefers rainbow-colored shirts and adores her Sweetie best friend, Lily. When Maya, Lily, and Maya’s new puppy, Waggers, have to stay with her uncle for a few days, many opportunities for conflict arise. He is a “True Red Puddin’ Head,” which means he has an almost violent distaste for Sweeties. He has also just planted a pristine new lawn, which he does not want soiled with Waggers’s poop.
Unfortunately, Maya has an almost pathological phobia of scooping dog poop, which she relates in her wry voice that is both funny and relatable. When Uncle Puddin’ Head roars off to work in his monster truck, Maya and Lily go on an all-day journey searching for somewhere Waggers can relieve himself safely, meeting several wacky neighbors in the process. During these adventures Lily comes to realize that Puddin’ Heads are not as evil as she’s been led to believe, and Maya figures out how to be a better pet owner.
One of the most effective scenes is when the two girls are snacking on what Maya calls “puddin’ berries” and Lily calls “sweet berries,” and they realize these delicious fruits are one in the same. The exaggerated strife between the Puddin’ Heads and Sweeties will help kids notice the absurdity of many real-world conflicts, as well as what they have in common with people who have different beliefs. While this lighthearted tale’s focus on Waggers’s bathroom habits, including talk of “fart tarts,” will overwhelm readers who tire of potty jokes, Maya’s acceptance of her responsibility offers a positive example for kids as they take more initiative in their own lives.
Takeaway: Humorous story about a girl overcoming her fears and learning to care for her pet.
Comparable Titles: Carolyn Crimi’s Secondhand Dogs, Carlie Sorosiak’s I, Cosmo.
Production grades Cover: B+ Design and typography: A Illustrations: A- Editing: A- Marketing copy: A-
Kirkus Reviews
2023-12-19
In this chapter book, a girl learns what it means to own a pooch as she tries to find the courage to scoop the dog’s poop.
Maya Union, a brown-skinned girl, and her family live in an “Island Nation” where dogs are a novelty. The island’s inhabitants—the Puddin’ Heads and the Sweeties—know nothing about canines and their care. Nevertheless, an American official ships a bunch of puppies to the island, who are adopted by the Puddin’ Heads. On this island, devotion to Puddin’ Head or Sweetie identity is essential. Kosmos’ children’s story about dog care and political orientation opens with a close friend, Lily, visiting Maya to see her newly adopted puppy, Waggers. Maya’s sister, Blaze, a “football and rock star,” is going on tour soon and the Union family plans to accompany her. Maya begs to remain home to care for Waggers or for Lily’s family to take the dog and both girls. But as Sweeties, Lily’s parents refuse. They believe that “puppies are for Puddin’ Heads, not Sweeties.” As a result, Maya, Lily, and Waggers must spend a week with the dreaded Uncle Kal, who prides himself on his brand-new MegaCorp lawn, an innovative product that needs to establish its roots. But while dealing with her uncle’s pristine lawn and his neighborhood’s strong Puddin’ Head identity, Maya learns she must find a place for Waggers’ poop. She considers several options—even the idea of training the puppy notto poop—and realizes that locating a new lawn for the dog is the solution. But after an eye-opening neighborhood adventure, Maya concludes that she might have to scoop the poop after all. Following Kosmos’ Blaze Union and the Puddin’ Head Schools (2023), this series opener starring Maya deftly captures the childhood spirit that comes with owning a dog. It does a remarkable job of teaching responsibility in an amusing way. The tale also smoothly integrates canine care, an engaging narrative, and political differences, with humor the common thread. Featuring compact illustrations by Mullins, the work manages to celebrate diversity without being didactic. Although some readers may want more details about Maya’s stay with Uncle Kal, the story ends with a funny, smart surprise, allowing the audience to imagine what will happen next.
A hilarious tale about canine care and political differences.
