For the Love Of A Pug
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Using traditional rhymes, the author pays homage to a pug by way of word substitution. For instance, "Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard/to get her poor Pug a bone," and "How much pie could a Pug put away/If a Pug could put away pie?" Six stanzas are illustrated in full-color pencil and gouache, each on a different spread. These are separated by labeled pictures of Pug set against a white background and thematically connected to the previous rhyme; for example, Mother Hubbard's calamity is followed by depictions of "Grumpy Pug" and "Hangdog Pug." The pup shown is the same throughout and the figure of a woman appears several times, so there is some continuity to the book. The art is energized with swirls, diagonals, and cross-hatching, and with the dramatic use of color. As an indulgent, creative endeavor, this book shines, but the sum of its parts is too sophisticated for preschoolers, and, with the exception of dog lovers, there's no real hook to draw readers in.Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.