The Helpful Puppy

July 15, 2012
A simple, old-fashioned story about a puppy adjusting to life on a family farm is complemented by sweetly nostalgic watercolor illustrations from Caldecott Medalist McCully. The unnamed male beagle puppy wants a job on the farm like the other, more mature animals. He tries to crow like the rooster, push the farm wagon like the ox and chase mice like the barn cat. He realizes that he can't lay eggs like the hens or carry people like the horse. A female farmhand (who looks rather like a clown in costume, minus white greasepaint) tells the puppy he can't make milk because he is a male. At last, the puppy hears a familiar whistle as his young owner arrives home from school. For the rest of the day, the boy and the puppy play together, until the boy's mother tucks her son and his dog into bed together; then, she describes the puppy's contribution as love for the family. The short text, simple plot and amusing illustrations make this a fine choice for preschoolers who are just transitioning into real stories. The earnest puppy doesn't chart any new territory, but cute little ones who want to be helpful like the big guys have a natural and enduring appeal to the preschool set. (Picture book. 3-7)

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October 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 1-A white puppy with brown spots wants to help out on the farm. He can't pull a heavy cart like the ox or carry people around like the horse. He isn't quick enough to chase mice like the cat or old enough to help the sheepdog. Laying eggs and giving milk are quite beyond him, and he would look silly sheared like the sheep. Yet when he hears his boy's whistle, he knows just what to do. "His boy was home from school./It was time to play!/He jumped and licked and dashed/and wiggled for the rest of the day." And best of all, at bedtime the puppy snuggles with his boy, giving him love. McCully's signature watercolor illustrations bring to life one idyllic day on the farm. The curious pup is everywhere with ears flapping and tail wagging, but nowhere is he better than in the eight small scenes against white backgrounds when he is with his boy. This gentle story, reminiscent of an earlier era, has wide appeal and is a good choice for most collections.-Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2012
Preschool-G A farm puppy, who will be a sheepdog someday, wants to be useful now. After questioning all the other animals as to their function, and realizing that he cannot do any of their jobs, dismay turns to delight when the puppy hears the whistle of the farmer's son, returned from school. It's clear that the puppy has found his vocationto be the loving companion to the boy. The story is simple and the resolution predictable, but there is wisdom in the message: it is a puppy's job to be a puppy, just as it is a child's job to be a child. McCully's watercolors are warm and adorable without anthropomorphizing the puppy. After full-page spreads of barnyard activity, in which the pup is sometimes a small figure on the periphery, the book treats the reader to a montage of vignettes in which the boy and his dog play and enjoy each other's company. A sweet book for cozy lap sharing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
As a puppy watches the animals working on the farm, he wonders how he, too, can be useful. He can't give eggs or milk or wool. When his boy comes home, however, he discovers he's very good at giving love. The story of finding one's place is told in uneven rhyme and accompanied by lively watercolors of an idealized farmyard.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)