ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

A counting book with puppies? This can only lead one place: puppy nirvana. Sure enough, it begins with one chubby pup awakening and pawing his way across the hardwood floor. Soon it's two puppies tumbling, then three playing, and then the troop heads outside: "4 pups drink. / 5 puppies huddle. / 6 puppies piddle in the middle of the muddle." In a bouncy rhythm that recalls Dr. Seuss's Hop on Pop, the gleeful little canines swell in number until they reach 10 and stuff their muzzles into a line of dog bowls: "All the puppies sniff. / No puppies stray. / Every puppy dines / in the Line-'em-up Café." The numerals themselves are bigger than the rest of the text, reminding readers at all times to keep counting. It's a bit harder than it sounds, as Cole's tender watercolor-and-ink illustrations often conceal a pup or two in the margins, giving only glimpses of a flap of ear or a nudge of foot. Finally, Chall reverses the countdown through yawning and nuzzling and sleeping. Until, of course, "1 pup's up . . . "

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Cole's chubby puppies bounce through Chall's cheery rhyming text: "4 pups drink. / 5 puppies huddle. / 6 puppies piddle / in the middle of the muddle." The book counts from one to ten as the dogs wake, play, and eat; then back down as they fall asleep. Preschoolers will have lots of fun keeping pace with the pups.

Kirkus Reviews

When one pup wakes up, the rest are sure to follow. "2 puppies tumble. / 3 puppies roll / in a fuzzy puppy jumble," and on up to ten. After a meal "in the Line-'em-up Cafe," the countdown begins till "[t]he last pup sags. / All the puppies sleep. / No pups awake / in the furry puppy heap." Cole's watercolor-and-ink cartoons present a cheerfully motley assemblage of floppy-eared, short-legged, chubby-bellied puppies in a mix of solids and spots. They run, wrestle and munch with an abandon dog lovers will recognize and appreciate. Chall's text romps as energetically as this mixed-breed litter, with a rhythm and verve that practically reads itself. It's sure to be a read-aloud hit, and the author has considerately provided a natural resting place in the verse to give audiences time to crack up over "6 puppies piddle in the middle of the muddle" (the illustration shows the puppies sniffing a fire hydrant with interest). Almost as much fun as a real puppy, with none of the mess. (Picture book. 2-6)

School Library Journal (Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

PreS-K Starting with a picture of a sleepy-looking mother dog and her litter, with one youngster sneaking off, and the words "1 pup's up," the text counts the dogs up to 10 and back again. Their day includes everything from "6 puppies piddle" to "7 pups pounce./8 puppies chase./9 puppies bounce/in a pudgy puppy race." The rhyming text is short and effective. It scans well, and, while not outstanding, reads aloud smoothly, and captures the essence of puppyhood. Cole's engaging watercolor and ink artwork captures little tails as they poke up, and nearly every pup is distinctive: some are solid black, brown, tan, or white, while others sport spots in differing colors and patterns. The pages vary in layout from spot art to full-bleed spreads, imbuing the book with motion and personality. The animals joyfully romp and play, and little listeners are sure to enjoy counting them and finding favorites. And therein lies the problem. As the numbers increase, the puppies get harder to count. By 10, two of them are nearly off the page, with one only a nose and paws and the other a tail and ears. It seems likely that preschoolers will have difficulty with this. That caveat aside, the book is sure to be popular. An additional purchase where more counting books are needed. Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT