This Book Just Ate My Dog! (Bella and Ben)

PreS-Gr 2--This book gives new meaning to pictures being lost in the gutter. Bella takes her dog for a walk across the spread. She makes it to the next page, but her pet doesn't--he begins to disappear into the middle of the book. Bella tells her friend Ben what happened, and he tries to investigate but gets lost himself. A dog rescue car, a fire truck, and a police car all come to help but vanish into the middle as well, so the child finally goes in to check it out herself. A note then appears from Bella, telling readers to turn and shake the book. Everything and everyone come out, and all is set right again--almost. Byrne's comical play on the book's gutter will entertain kids and adults. The subtle background is done in a muted palette so the focus remains on the action and the vivid characters in the foreground. This book will make for a good one-on-one reading, giving children an opportunity to save the day. Pair it with Herve Tullet's Press Here (Chronicle, 2011) to afford children the chance to participate actively with the story.--Emily E. Lazio, The Smithtown Special Library District, NY

Byrne's (The Really, Really, Really Big Dinosaur) comedy gets its mileage from a single joke, but his pacing is skillful and his humor sweet-tempered. Bella wears a knit cap and a sensible dress as she takes her gigantic spotted dog for a "stroll across the page." As the dog approaches the center of the spread, where the two pages meet, "something very odd happened." Bella looks back to see that the dog's front half has disappeared into the book's gutter, followed quickly by the rest of it; Bella is left yanking a leash that disappears between facing pages. It's an effective visual trick, and it continues to draw grins as people and vehicles follow Bella's dog into two-dimensional oblivion. Bella's friend Ben disappears ("Ben decided to investigate"), followed by the dog rescue van, the police and fire brigade ("Things were getting ridiculous"), and, finally, by Bella herself. A note asks the reader to shake the book sideways, which restores order--almost. It's quick, fizzy entertainment, good as a waiting-room read or an addition to the bedtime pile. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)

Praise for This Book Belongs to Aye-Aye:

"Witty and warm, Richard Byrne's "This Book Belongs to Aye-Aye" brilliantly champions the role of picture books in children's early life and education. The immediacy in the illustration gives a vibrant quality to this impressive, humorous and slightly post-modern tale." — Children's Bookseller Choice, The Bookseller

"Boldly illustrated in a unique style . . . This is a story based around young friendships, about being positive and helpful to others and always comfortable being yourself." — We Love This Book