Sally's Big Day

January 1, 2023

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.

April 1, 2023
Sally is excited to join the other puppies at puppy school. Sally sees pups of all kinds on the way to and in school. "Big pups and little pups. Short pups and long pups. Fluffy pups and smooth pups." At first, Sally has difficulty obeying the teacher's commands. When told to sit, she sniffs and becomes distracted by a rabbit she sees in the distance. At recess--"the best thing about school"--Sally slurps water and plays. Eventually, like all the other puppies, Sally learns to listen and do what she is told and is rewarded with a treat. At home, the now exhausted Sally naps and dreams of rabbits. Simple, short declarative sentences are accompanied by thin-lined, soft colored drawings. Children beginning a new milestone as preschool students will draw parallels between their experiences and Sally's--the newness of the experience and the importance of following rules and getting along with others. Readers will also be encouraged to search for Sally's distracting rabbit as it appears hidden on almost every page throughout the story, providing some additional intrigue. A diverse community of dog owners is depicted; the teacher has brown skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A winsome first-day-of-school offering for the new student and year. (Picture book. 3-5)

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