Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

When an unlucky boy and a lost dog find each other, their friendship leads to a lot of learning.First they learn about each other; then they go to school. Lucky the black Lab goes to his school 10 times, but Frank the redheaded, white boy has to go thousands. But even when they're not at school, they're learning: botany and entomology from the plants and ticks Lucky picks up in his explorations; chemistry from their experiments about what will take away skunk odor; astronomy from the time they spend outside because Lucky is still too smelly; math—infinity is the number of biscuits Lucky is willing to eat, and at night, what fraction of the bed belongs to Frank and what to Lucky? But the duo's favorite subject is geography—exploring the world around them, and that leads to other lessons of all kinds. Perkins' pen-and-ink-and-watercolor illustrations use vignettes and speech/thought bubbles to marvelous effect. And the humor is hysterically tongue-in-cheek: "If a dog is sitting at the Horizon Line, he will look like a Silhouette….Then you will have to go get him and bring him home."As with Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's Math Curse (1995), this book should open readers' eyes to the learning all around them. Of course, if they have learning companions like Lucky, so much the better. (Picture book. 4-8)

ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Frank's bad day is turned around when his parents take him to the animal shelter, and he picks out Lucky. Perkins' playful, multidisciplinary picture book follows the boy and his dog as they get to know each other and learn about the world. Together, the winsome pals learn about a variety of topics by exploring their surroundings. For example, when Lucky gets sprayed by a skunk, Frank learns about experimentation and chemistry. Elsewhere, Lucky and Frank learn about history (when they spot a statue of Balto), geography (when Lucky runs off in the fields near Frank's house), and foreign languages (when they meet a couple of Spanish-speaking kids in their neighborhood), among many others. The scattered pace of discovery, while a bit jolting as a narrative device, is a great replication of the frenetic pace of doggie enthusiasm and unstructured exploration. Perkins' watercolor-and-ink illustrations incorporate labels, diagrams, and maps to emphasize the pair's lessons. The wide variety of subjects is engrossing, but it's the bond between Frank and Lucky that steals the show.

Horn Book

Frank is having a terrible, horrible, etc. day, but then he gets pooch Lucky, who becomes Frank's faithful companion in learning about the world. How Perkins manages to include so many actual, useful facts in the story is an education in itself, especially in the way text and pictures so thoroughly trust the obligation of one to complete the other. Who needs the Core Standards?

School Library Journal Starred Review (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

K-Gr 4 As the book begins, sequential panels depict a ginger-haired boy having a horrible day; the next set shows a police officer taking a lost Labrador retriever to an animal shelter. When Frank gets Lucky, their mutual joy in learning about each other quickly transfers to other arenas. The dog is particularly interested in science: he wonders about squirrels and observes snow. When Lucky is covered in burdocks and ticks, Frank learns about botany and entomology. In six views of bedtime, readers are invited to measure the fraction of the bed filled by Frank or Lucky. Using a conversational tone, Perkins simultaneously narrates their discoveries and speaks directly to readers, exploring topics ranging from art and geography to foreign languages (Spanish and Duck). After the black Lab encounters a skunk, chemistry experiments change stinky molecules into "not-so-smelly" ones. Some questions do not have an immediate answer, so Perkins segues to new ideas, ultimately resolving them in consequent pages. Discovering school subjects through imaginative scenarios makes learning a delight for the two characters and their audience. Light-infused ink and watercolor panels, spot art, and spreads present additional information; labels and thought bubbles allow insight into Lucky's perspective. VERDICT This is foremost a story of love between a boy and dog, but even readers who don't have pets will want to get schooled with Frank and Lucky. Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

When an unlucky boy and a lost dog find each other, their friendship leads to a lot of learning.First they learn about each other; then they go to school. Lucky the black Lab goes to his school 10 times, but Frank the redheaded, white boy has to go thousands. But even when they're not at school, they're learning: botany and entomology from the plants and ticks Lucky picks up in his explorations; chemistry from their experiments about what will take away skunk odor; astronomy from the time they spend outside because Lucky is still too smelly; math—infinity is the number of biscuits Lucky is willing to eat, and at night, what fraction of the bed belongs to Frank and what to Lucky? But the duo's favorite subject is geography—exploring the world around them, and that leads to other lessons of all kinds. Perkins' pen-and-ink-and-watercolor illustrations use vignettes and speech/thought bubbles to marvelous effect. And the humor is hysterically tongue-in-cheek: "If a dog is sitting at the Horizon Line, he will look like a Silhouette….Then you will have to go get him and bring him home."As with Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's Math Curse (1995), this book should open readers' eyes to the learning all around them. Of course, if they have learning companions like Lucky, so much the better. (Picture book. 4-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Newbery Medalist Perkins (Criss Cross) offers a simultaneously lighthearted and insightful look at education, in this story starring a boy and his newly rescued dog: -Both of them were just pups. They had a lot to learn.- Through Frank and Lucky-s relationship with each other and the natural world, Perkins creates a free-form curriculum that playfully introduces various disciplines. Lucky-s encounter with a skunk leads to an exploration of chemistry and experiments (such as which products will turn -smell molecules- into -not-so-smelly molecules-), while six side-by-side images of Lucky and Frank attempting to share a bed accompany the question, -How much of the bed is Lucky-s, and how much is Frank-s?- (-This is fractions and percentages,- writes Perkins. -The answer changes throughout the night.-) As Perkins comments on art, history, geography, and more, she brings a warm, conversational tone to the narrative, while her mixed-media pictures play up the story-s humor through the use of comics elements, including panel sequences and speech balloons. From interdisciplinary connections to unanswerable questions, Perkins demonstrates the value and rewards of investigating one-s world, whether human or dog. Ages 4-8. (June)