ALA Booklist (Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 1999)

Meister and Davis introduce newly independent readers to a child facing a challenge: giving his minivan-size dog a bath. Luckily, the backyard pool is just big enough--for Tiny and, after Tiny bounds out of the pool directly into a mud puddle, for dog and boy both. The bond between the two is evident in the simple illustrations; the lad, who is of indeterminate ethnic background, makes brief one-line comments that are contraction free but only a bit stilted. Young fans of Mudge, not to mention Clifford, will relish being able to read a BIG dog story on their own. (Reviewed March 15, 1999)

Horn Book

A boy tells of his large dog, Tiny, who is dirty and needs a bath. In this book for the least sophisticated beginning readers, each sentence appears on a single line, and only one sentence appears on a page. Illustrations mirror text, providing clues that support readers as they decipher both words and events. Add Tiny to the roll call of great dogs in children's literature. He may just wind up being a young reader's best friend.

Kirkus Reviews

In this Easy-to-Read entry is a dog large enough to chase Clifford the big red dog right out of town. Tiny is a dog who is the exact opposite of what his name implies. When he gets dirty, his owner—a small boy—has to search to find a receptacle big enough to scrub him down. A pail, the sink, and even the bathtub are dwarfed by the presence of this giant hound; only the little boy's wading pool will do. The child gets Tiny washed, only to be dirtied himself when his pooch discovers a new mud puddle to play in. Both boy and dog come clean in the end. Davis's playful illustrations romp alongside the beginning reader text, using an easy, loping giganticism to portray this big pet's appeal. (Picture book. 5-7)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 1-A small boy wearing baggy shorts, a sideways baseball cap, and round glasses describes his dog, Tiny: "He is bigger than a bike. He is bigger than a chair. He is bigger than I am!" Since Tiny likes dirt, he needs a bath, but the pail is too small and so is the bathtub. The pool is the perfect solution. After Tiny is clean, he decides that playing in the mud is more fun, and both the dog and the boy end up back in the pool. This very beginning-level reader is predictable from start to finish. It is the full-color illustrations, which fill the double-page spreads, that give the story its charm. While this book is not memorable, it is a serviceable addition to easy-reader collections.-Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.