ALA Booklist (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

On the cover of this small, warm picture book, a child holds a puppy against her cheek, and their loving bond is the story told by the pet, who imagines how far he would go to protect the little girl. He starts off small, and the double-page artwork in pencil and soft colors shows him challenging a spider, dueling with squirrels, and barking at mice to keep the girl safe. Then the battles get mythic as he imagines himself climbing a ladder into the clouds to block lightning and diverting a meteor with a baseball bat. There are no grown-ups in the scenarios, just the child and her dear companion, and the scenes are filled with big threats that, on closer inspection, are suffused with coziness: the avalanche is a pile of toys that fall out of the closet, for example. Young preschoolers will recognize the physicality, the loyalty, and the powerful connection between animal and child.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

You're a little undersized...but you've got football smarts. Constantly reminded of his shortcomings by coaches and friends, sophomore Jomo Rodgers decides to enhance his size and performance through steroids. As his physique grows, so does the rage within him. Sharp dialogue, authentic characters, and engaging relationships elevate this cautionary tale of an athlete spiraling out of control.

Kirkus Reviews

Just when it seems that there's nothing more to say about the enduring bond between a dog and its owner, an unassuming little pooch with brown spots steps up to the plate and adds his own first-person interpretation of that special attachment. The unnamed dog of indeterminate breed tells his story in simple, declarative sentences, announcing in no uncertain terms how he will defend his castle from intruders both big (an impending meteor) and small (invading mice). The text has a droll simplicity well suited to Lemaitre's understated pencil illustrations with pastel washes that show both domestic catastrophes and natural disasters being averted with aplomb by this tiny but immensely powerful dog. The story moves in a graceful arc, from smaller dangers to wind, lightning and the encroaching sea, all averted by the brave hero. He can deflect any sort of danger from this castle, motivated just because his owner (a little girl) lives there. Dog owners will love this, as will those who wish they had a dog just like this one. (Picture book. 4-8)

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

The author of <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Someday pens another declaration of love—this time in frankly comic mode. A girl in overalls sits on the front porch of her little wooden house. “I am the keeper of the castle,” her diminutive spotted pooch tells her, one paw on his chest, the other held dramatically out to the side. “And I will keep the castle safe.” In successive spreads, Lemaître (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Doctor Ted) shows the dog in roguish scenes of derring-do: fighting a duel with a furry enemy atop the peak of the roof (“I will tame the squirrels”) and barking at a gang of mouse pirates whose ship's sail is a sock (“I will chase away evil”). The dog's statements grow ever more grandiose: “I will divert meteors,” he says, standing on a chimney armed with a baseball bat. “Why, you ask?” the canine Cyrano asks in closing, as the girl scoops him up and cradles him in her hands. “Because <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">you live here.” Succinct, funny and, in its way, action-packed, this is written in the universal language of affection—only the stonyhearted could withstand its charms. Ages 4–8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(June)

School Library Journal (Fri May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

PreS-Gr 1 In spare poetic prose, an endearing dog of indeterminate breed declares to its young owner: "I am the keeper of the castle. This castle. And I will keep the castle safe." The "castle" is a cottage on the beach, and the tiny pup goes on to enumerate a variety of tasks, including guarding against monsters (spiders), halting an avalanche (of toys in the cupboard), diverting meteors (standing on the rooftop ready with a baseball bat), stopping "savage beasts" (pirate mice), calming the sea, etc. All of these fanciful and heroic exploits are delightfully depicted. The dog ends up by saying: "Why, you ask? Do you mean to say you don't know? Because you live here." Rendered in pencil and then digitally colored, the artwork set against soft pastel pages provides a perfect match for the whimsical text, and together they portray the love between the two friends beautifully. This book is a lovely read for a child on an adult's lap, where the pictures of the dog's expressions and antics can be fully appreciated and savored. Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA