Happy puppies

Wag A Tail
by Lois Ehlert

reviewed by Kelly Herold

It's not often I review a book for the world's littlest listeners, but Ehlert's Wag a Tail took hold of my imagination and wouldn't let go.

As fitting for a 1-to 3-year-old audience, Wag a Tail doesn't suffer from too much plot.  In fact, nothing much actually happens.  Dogs go to the market.  They proclaim "We are cool."  They break some rules.  They "never drool."  At the end of the "story," they frolic in a dog park, outdoing one another with silly dog tricks.

So what's so special about Wag a Tail, then? The illustrations. They are vibrant, stunning, and child-friendly.  Ehlert uses fuzzy felt-like collage to create her dogs and their passive, non-speaking people.  She chose deep, jewel-like colors on a background of green; color choices unique in the preschool market.  When I read this aloud to a six-year-old, he kept touching the pages, saying "this book looks like it should be lumpy."  It sure does.

Ehlert's dogs, though created from pieces of felt and bits of button, are lifelike and recognizable.  (All sixteen dogs are afforded a short bio on the inside back cover.  My favorite is Lucky, the Scottish Terrier.)  The dogs are mischievous , brazen, and ready for fun.  Any toddler would approve.

Wag a Tail is the type of book you'll catch your toddler browsing through (maybe upside down?) on her own in a corner.  Don't miss it.  "Bow wow wow."

Rating: *\*\*\*\

Comments

[Sylvia]

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