School Library Journal (Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

PreS-Gr 3 Farm terrier, Murphy-Stop-That, shares a day in his life in this fun adaptation of Alice Provensens picture book (S & S, 2003). Narrator Jason Harris gives Murphy a scrappy personality with an eager demeanor and often breathless voice. The first-person account follows what appears to be an ordinary day in the life of Murphy which turns out to be filled with scads of mischief, lots of food, and even an unwelcome trip to the vet. Provensen illustrates Murphys day with unusual vocabulary words such as whirring, snivel, and lolling. However, sensitive parents might also be wary of an abundance of the word dumb in the text. The narration is brought to life with sound effects and upbeat background music. One side of the recording has page-turn signals. Jennifer Verbrugge, Dakota County Library, Burnhaven branch, Burnsville, MN

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

In this clever canine caper, Caldecott Medalist Provensen (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Glorious Flight) introduces an irrepressibly rambunctious—and chatty—narrator. Actually, he introduces himself: "Murphy-Stop-That is my name. I am a terrier. I bark./ I bark at anything and everything and all the time./ I sleep in a barn with a dumb cat and a dumb hound,/ and a lot of other dumb farm animals." In a perky, stream-of-consciousness monologue, the pooch describes his daily doings, beginning with scouring the kitchen for bits of breakfast ("Leftovers. Scraps./ The floor! The floor. Nose over every inch"). Provensen's animated oil paintings, filled with playful particulars, follow a kind of time-lapse progression as the hero enters the house through the doggy door and follows various scents until he's shooed back out the way he came, with the assistance of a broom. After licking the leaky pipe under the kitchen sink and savoring the stove's "glorious sounds and smells," Murphy hears honking outside, beckoning him for a car trip. Alas, the pet dislikes both the ride ("Snivel./ Grumble./ Groan./ Are we there yet?") and the destination—the vet ("Oh-oh, it's my turn to be…/ pinched… poked… prodded. Doesn't hurt, but get me out of here!"). A spread of the waiting room depicts an array of furry friends from pups to elderly dogs to a wary-looking cat. Provensen's animated oil paintings follow the amiable, wide-eyed dog through the ups and downs of his day, which ends on a pleasant, predictably noisy note. Ages 3-7. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

Kirkus Reviews

Not a whole lot happens in Murphy's day beyond scavenging for food, a trip to the vet, and a flurry of late-night barking, but that's not really the point. The point is Murphy himself, a wide-eyed, hairy little terrier whose energy communicates itself through an all-upper-case text and staccato sentences. Murphy appears as a mass of wiry black hair, frequently rendered in multiple across a page to further emphasize his boundless enthusiasm. The oil illustrations feature a flat perspective with liberal use of white space; this provides a static background that further highlights Murphy's antics. Provenson departs from lofty themes, delivering a spot-on interpretation of the inner life of a terrier, and the humor in many of the scenes is priceless. There is so little story that readers who do not share the author's evident enthusiasm for dog psychology may well be unimpressed; dog lovers, however, should lap this up. (Picture book. 4-7)

ALA Booklist

For terrier Murphy (or, as he introduces himself, Murphy-Stop-That), life on the farm is busy. There are floors to lick, shoes to chew, mice to sniff out. The kitchen is a joy; the car, not so great; the vet, Get me out of here! But soon, it's home to supper, some excited night barking (he heard the moon move), and bedtime in the barn, surrounded by his toys and animal friends. With charming, lively illustrations and peppy, descriptive prose, Provensen portrays the smells, sounds, and activities of a delightful, active pup. Colorful, textured artwork outlined in black and brimming with whimsical detail, captures wide-eyed Murphy traversing barnyard and house, wholeheartedly enjoying life (even doing a few things he shouldn't be doing). Although this is longer than the usual picture book, short phrases and strings of adjectives make it a fun read-aloud that will hold kids' interest. It will be hard to resist the joyful, humorous touches in text and art and the enthusiastic, engaging doggie stream of consciousness as Murphy goes about his day.

Horn Book

Daniel LeBlanc is living with his aunt Judith when he receives a mysterious summons. Convinced that his father, who lives out on the frontier, is in trouble, Daniel joins an emigrant group on the Oregon Trail to search for him. Daniel is often too pious to seem realistic, and others are stock characters. The ending wrapped in Native American spirituality is unconvincing.