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Summary
Summary
Dog park? Let's go! Percy may be a small dog, but he more than makes up for it in attitude and energy. Holding tight to his precious toy ball, he makes his way to the dog park, coming across three friends along the way--Molly, with her kerchief; Oatmeal Cookie, with his Frisbee; and lovable giant Fluffy, with his bone. At the park, the four friends have fun running, digging, and sniffing--until a sneering, jeering squirrel dares to challenge Percy, causing him to drop his beloved toy. Percy's ball sails through the air, flying so high that he might lose it forever... but an unlikely hero dashes in to save the day! Told from the perspective of a way-too-big-for-his-britches Jack Russell Terrier, and paired with humorous, quirky illustrations, this hilarious, original story from New York Times best-selling author Alison McGhee is brimming with enough personality and wit to keep children and adults alike giggling from start to finish.
Author Notes
Alison McGhee is the New York Times best-selling author of Someday , Always , and Little Boy , as well as many other picture books, children's novels, and novels for adults. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Visit alisonmcghee.com.
Jennifer K. Mann is the illustrator of Turkey Tot and the author-illustrator of Two Speckled Eggs . She lives in Bainbridge Island, Washington, with her family. Visit jenniferkmann.com.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Percy, the Dog of Destiny, is on his way to the dog park with his ball and friends Molly, Fluffy, and Oatmeal Raisin Cookie in tow. When they finally hit the park (sans leashes), they run along the fence, sniff everything in sight, dig holes, and pee on trees. Readers quickly learn the canines' personalities while watching them play with their favorite objects: Molly and her kerchief, Cookie and her Frisbee, large Fluffy and his bone, and Percy and HIS BALL. A refrain notes each time Percy's big and absurdly named friend does something differently (resting with feet up, sniffing flowers, communing with ducklings), but when a crafty, weasel-like squirrel distracts the group long enough to steal Percy's precious ball, it's Fluffy who unexpectedly manages to leave his bone long enough for a ball-saving leap. Simple art in pencil and digital paint with a variation of fonts creates an uncluttered flow for the action of the characters and opportunities for inference in a tale for those who love their four-legged canine friends. VERDICT A dog lovers' delight, best shared one-on-one or with a small group to pore over the expressive cartoons.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Percy, a perky black-and-white dog whose tail is in a perpetual state of motion, recounts his adventure at the dog park in this chipper picture book. "Dog park? What ho!" he shouts as his human dangles a leash in front of him. With his favorite toy ball clamped in his mouth, Percy meets up with his pals-large and lumbering Fluffy, elegant poodle Molly, and spotted dachshund Oatmeal Raisin Cookie-for their playtime routine. While Fluffy can't seem to do anything quite right ("Oh, Fluffy" is a repeated refrain as the dog lolls around instead of "streak[ing] along the fence" or sniffs flowers instead of... his friends), he comes through when Percy loses his ball to an aggressive squirrel. Using punchy, dramatic exclamations, McGhee (Tell Me a Tattoo Story) humorously creates an imagined inner dialogue of a high-energy pet ("Little porkie pie! Sweet poopsie muffin, come to papa!" Percy cries as he gets his ball back), and Mann's (Sam and Jump) breezy portraits will be familiar to anyone who's spent even a little time around dogs in action. Ages 4-8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A black-and-white dog plays with his canine pals at a dog park, culminating in an encounter with a feisty, ball-stealing squirrel.Percy is a bright-eyed dog of indeterminate breed, with a long, skinny tail and a black spot over one eye. He narrates the story with just a few words and a snappy attitude, using witty expressions such as "my little porkie pie" as a nickname for his beloved, special ball. (The genially archaic, repeated "What ho!" may raise more than a few eyebrows, given its unfortunate homonymic relationship to the modern slur.) Percy meets up with his three canine friends at the dog park, each having brought along a favorite toy. Molly is a standard poodle who carries a bandanna, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie is a dachshund with a Frisbee, and Fluffy is a huge, fierce-looking but gentle fellow toting a correspondingly huge bone. At the park, the dogs play together until a sassy squirrel faces off with Percy, trying to steal his ball. When the squirrel swipes Percy's ball and then flings it from a tree, Fluffy solves the problem by leaping up to catch it. Minimalist, digitally produced illustrations use white backgrounds and a muted color palette to complement the sophisticated tone of the text. Percy's long, pointed tail (presumably in perpetual motion) is frequently depicted as three distinct appendages; since there are no motion lines to help readers decode this, it appears that the dog is a tri-tailed anomaly. Percy doesn't seem to have much of a destiny beyond chasing his favorite ball, but perhaps that is the point. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The hand dangling a red leash in front of Percy a small, excitable dog with a black patch over his eye can only mean one thing: Dog park? What ho! Percy zips around the house until he tracks down his special ball and is ready to go: Make way, world. On the way, he is joined by three canine friends Molly the poodle, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie the dachshund, and Fluffy the mastiff each with a favored toy in tow. At the park, the dogs have a whale of a time streaking along fences, sniffing, digging holes, and peeing on trees. But then a rascally squirrel goads Percy and steals the pooch's precious ball. Percy sends up a call to his friends, who leap into action and ensure this outing has a happy ending. This exuberant story is perfect for the preschool set, who will love the dogs' antics and Percy's peppy personality. The minimal text and energetic, digitally colored pencil illustrations, set against white backgrounds, will ensure that listeners' attentions never stray.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2017 Booklist
