Dog Loves Drawing
Yates’ bibliophile star of Dog Loves Books (2010) is back, this time in an ode to drawing. When Dog receives a blank book from his aunt Dora, he is initially unsure of its purpose—luckily there’s a note of explanation, and Dog immediately pulls out his pens, pencils, and brushes and sets to work. As with the best artwork, Dog’s efforts are transformative: the door he draws opens, and he steps through it. There, he draws a stickman (kids will relate), and they doodle together. When the page is brimming over with stars and curlicues, they turn the page to a blank one and create new friends—a pink owl, a striped duck, and a more traditional-looking orange crab. The quintet draw themselves into adventures until the duck creates something “that spoils everything,” and they need to find their way out of the sketchbook. Dog, with his floppy ears and irrepressible love of books and creativity, is a charmer, and little kids will find his enthusiasm inspiring. Storytime and activity possibilities abound. Grades K-3. --Ann Kelley