From Publishers Weekly
British author Gibbie's charming cumulative tale stars a stocky, mahogany-red pup who misplaces his I.D. tag (and with it, all memory of his name), and goes by the generic moniker of Small Brown Dog. "I've lost my collar, and I don't know who I am!" he repeats to every dog he meets. His neighbors don't recall his name either, but they have seen him at his favorite pastimes. Tess the Terrier reminds him, "You like splashing in puddles," and others add to the list of traits until the young amnesiac asserts, "I'm a small brown dog with a pink nose/ who likes splashing in puddles,/ is always chasing squirrels,/ has a bad case of fleas,.../ and my name is...." Each canine has an alliterative name and breed, from Charlie the Chihuahua to Alf the Alsatian; these limiting labels shed light on other, unofficial signs of identity, such as food and leisure-time preferences. Nascimbeni, who illustrated Jonathan Shipton's What If?, creates a vaguely Mediterranean setting of stucco buildings and manicured parks, populated with hardworking hounds and patterned in hues of terra-cotta orange, sandy white and cerulean blue. In each chalky, richly textured illustration, she hides a mouse who witnesses the quest but never divulges Small Brown Dog's real name, and plants clues as to the hero's hobbies in the early scenes. This volume stresses the importance of the personal over the superficial, subtly suggesting that name, size and color are not one's essential qualities. Ages 3-7. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-In this cumulative tale, a small brown dog can't remember his name, so he enlists the aid of his canine friends in his search for identity: "I've lost my collar, and I don't know WHO I AM." Although his friends can't come up with his moniker either, they do remind him of his special characteristics: "You like splashing in puddles," "You've got a bad case of fleas," and "You can't resist hot dogs." With each encounter, the growing list of traits is repeated by such neighborhood characters as street vendor Sid the Sausage Dog, hairdresser Peaches the Poodle, and construction worker Ralph the Rottweiler. Finally the small brown dog is directed to the police department where he finds his collar and his name. While the rollicking repetition and patterned text are sure to please, the pup's bout of amnesia is absurd, considering he can remember the names of everyone else in the neighborhood. Nascimbeni's chunky illustrations are bathed in color with an occasional patch of newsprint collage, and the oblique lines add to the growing momentum of the text. Children will enjoy searching for the little mouse in a striped T-shirt that follows the dog on his journey through the town. This silly story may prompt youngsters to think about their own personality traits.
Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
