A fun first read-aloud for the lap-sit crowd, this book features a simple rhyme on each double-page spread that repeats the word puppy as the text goes forward: "Leash puppy / go, puppy, / yay, puppy / walk." The bright full-bleed artwork, in gouache and colored pencil, shows a bespectacled little girl happy with her pet, chasing a ball, splashing in mud, fetching, rolling, and finally tucked tightly in bed, glasses firmly in place, with her tricolored puppy snuggled up beside her. The action and the playful repetition will have toddlers pointing and joining in.

Rhythmic cadence, easy rhymes and repeated familiar words add up to a joyful, easy-to-read paean to the pleasures of puppy ownership. <p>Rhythmic cadence, easy rhymes and repeated familiar words add up to a joyful, easy-to-read paean to the pleasures of puppy ownership. The beagle puppy and her (or his?) owner spend one rollicking day together. Whether the owner is throwing a ball, rubbing the puppy down from a bath, protecting her pup from a scary Siamese cat or enjoying a walk, this bespectacled heroine is in charge of her canine friend. Very easy language makes this accessible to the earliest reader, and the careful rhythm makes text easy to predict and memorize. "New puppy, young puppy, soft puppy, small. / Grow, puppy, run, puppy, chase, puppy, ball." Sunny gouache-and-pencil illustrations put girl and dog at the center of each spread and the final night-night scene calmly brings this sweet tale to a close. New readers and children who love puppies--and who doesn't?--will sit, stay and read this one. <i>(Picture book. 3-7)</i></p>

PreS-K Bouncy text and simple rhyming couplets take readers through a day in the life of a little girl and her pet as they play in the mud, enjoy a car ride, get in the way of the cat, go for a walk, and finally cuddle up together in bed. "New puppy,/young puppy,/soft puppy,/small./Grow, puppy,/run, puppy,/chase, puppy,/ball." Children will delight in the expressive, brightly colored gouache and pencil spreads of a smiling, round-faced youngster with large, oval animal-print glasses and her pup. Perfect pacing and large, uncluttered pictures make for a delightful read-aloud. While simple picture books about new puppies may seem to be everywhere, this one is sure to bound off the shelves. Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY