Sally's Big Day (Sally's Puppy Adventures)

PreS--Sally the puppy takes a walk through the park with her owner on the way to obedience school. Out in the park, a group of dogs obligingly follows the instructor's commands. Frolicking in nature is tons of fun, but, each time she hears the command "Sit!" Sally finds herself distracted by all the wonderful sights and smells in the world around her. Finally, however, she does indeed sit, and the instructor rewards her with a tasty treat. Later, Sally returns home, weary from the events of the day, and takes a well-deserved snooze. Larsen keeps the text short and sweet, with simple sentences and open-ended questions providing jumping-off points for children's eager observations. Lo's digital art conveys shape, movement, and emotion with bright hues and casual, sketchy lines. The human and animal characters traverse solid-colored backgrounds to which shadows, blades of grass, and other subtle details lend a sense of weight and dimensionality. Adults and children will delight in spotting the recurring image of a white rabbit hidden in many of the illustrations. VERDICT A cheery and exuberant book to be shared in joyful read-alouds with toddlers and adults.--Jonah Dragan

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Clearly understands the drama of sitting and listening when you are a young child. A puppy in obedience training is the perfect corollary to the experience of "failing" and, ultimately, trying again until you succeed...Quirky and saturated illustrations are a perfect accompaniment for our wiggly and disobedient heroine.— CM: Canadian Review of Materials