Kirkus Reviews

Two adorable African-American preschoolers, a boisterous puppy and a marmalade cat are the characters in this exuberant story suitable for children from toddlers to those just learning to read a few words on their own. The two children care for the puppy as he gets into mischief: escaping from the yard, rolling in the mud, getting a bath and fetching a ball. The deceptively simple text features short, rhyming couplets of the children's pleas for the puppy to behave, interspersed with a refrain of variations of the words in the title. The words in the refrain are printed in varying type sizes corresponding to the level of the puppy's antics and the children's resulting frustration, adding an extra dimension to the repetition. Nelson employs a wide range of perspectives in his vibrant oil paintings, sometimes showing the children as the puppy would see them, from below. A memorable climactic spread (with no text) shows the puppy bringing his ball back to the children, showing that the kids really can control their puppy after all. (Picture book. 2-6)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-Two young children celebrate the joy and challenges of life with their new pet. Puppy is exuberant, energetic, and as undisciplined as can be. The kids are thrilled with their uncontrollable new friend, chasing him, playing with him, and trying to get him to behave. In the spare text, the authors' repetitive dialogue rings true, echoing the sounds of children's excited screams and squeals. Nelson's illustrations are full of movement, switching perspective often to create a frenzied atmosphere. The children and puppy are appealing, dominating each page and keeping the focus clearly on the action. This book would be fun to read to a group, small or large, and the text is easy enough for beginning readers.-Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

ALA Booklist (Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

Reprising the theme from their earlier collaboration, Please, Baby, Please (2002), filmmaker Lee and his wife, a producer, turn the tables by putting the toddlers in charge this time. Although adults reading this aloud will smile knowingly as the young African American boy and girl plead in vain for their puppy to listen to directions, young readers and listeners may not appreciate the irony. Even so, they'll enjoy the exuberant pup's antics, which Nelson captures from a variety of perspectives in colorful, energetic illustrations: the puppy leaps into the air, rolls in mud, bounds out of his bath, and shakes water all over himself, the children, and the cat. The conscientious youngsters chase him, imploring their baby to behave. Picture books featuring children of color that don't make ethnicity the focus of the story are needed in all collections; this one is particularly accessible and fun.

Horn Book (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

Two children contend with their active pup: "Watch out for the cat, / puppy, please, puppy, / please! / Oh no, don't do that, / puppy puppy, / please, puppy!" The rhymes are warmed over, but, as in the creators' Please, Baby, Please, the book-length nagging session ends with a satisfying conclusion. Nelson's oils capture both the bedlam and the hard-won respite.