Dalmatian in a Digger

February 1, 2017

PreS-K-Fans of Kevin Lewis's My Truck Is Stuck! will enjoy this title. The use of alliteration and onomatopoeia ("Brmmm! Brmmm! Wheee!") makes the text delightful to read. In addition to the dalmatian in a digger, the narrative features a camel in a crane, a duck in a dump truck, and a bear in a bulldozer. So what are they building with all those machines, anyway? A tree house! The illustrations will keep kids excited to see who is doing what silly thing on the next page. As a bonus, Dalmatian's friend Little Mouse is hiding throughout the book for readers to find.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2016
Four animals with heavy construction equipment arrive to build a treehouse as a surprise for a Dalmatian puppy.The puppy awakens to loud, unexpected sounds and a foreshadowing glimpse of a big, metal scoop outside the bedroom window. The puppy joyously discovers an adult Dalmatian driving an excavator, called a "digger" in this British author/illustrator's text. Just a couple of brief sentences describe the action of the digger, punctuated with creative sound effects incorporated into the illustrations in collage-effect letters. Another set of loud sounds precedes the arrival of a camel in a crane, followed by a duck in a dump truck, and a bear in a bulldozer. Each new piece of equipment has its own set of exuberant sounds that relate loosely to the machine's function, such as "DUMP, SPLAT, CRASH" for the dump truck. The patterned text uses the machines' sounds as a predictive device, with a dramatic page turn to reveal the next animal and corresponding construction equipment. Bold, movement-filled illustrations create a buoyant atmosphere, with jaunty animal characters and bright flowers and trees surrounding the construction site. There's a bit of a logic gap between the heavy equipment and the concluding treehouse, as there are no carpenters shown building the actual house. Another small drawback is the gender bias in the four animal equipment drivers, as only one is identified as female; the puppy's gender is not specified. Preschoolers enamored with construction equipment will enjoy this cheerful tale, which is simple enough for little ones just transitioning into real stories. (Picture book. 2-5)

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July 1, 2017
A puppy awakens to strange noises. Outside, a Dalmatian is at work in a digger; then comes a camel in a crane; and so on. Watching these big machines is exciting enough ("I love cranes!" exclaims the rapturous pup), but then a final spread reveals that the crew has built the puppy a treehouse. Dynamic illustrations and onomatopoeic vehicle sounds add appeal to the slight story.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)