Ages 2-7. As golden retriever Boomer awaits his customary after-breakfast walk, he comes to realize that nothing about the day is customary. Instead, confusion and chaos are everywhere. All of his household's belongings are being packed into boxes, hauled out of the house by strangers, and loaded onto a truck. Boomer himself is eventually crammed into the family van for a long and cramped ride, then finally deposited before a foreign, empty house. Elaborating on the turmoil of Boomer's day, Whyte's delightful watercolors expressively reflect the dog's emotions: there is indescribable frustration on Boomer's face when, flattened to the floor, he searches in vain under a bed for his favorite ball, and his bewilderment is evident as he gazes at the clutter surrounding the packers at work. Humorously sympathizing with the tribulations of moving, this endearing picture book will soothe the anxieties of children facing a moveespecially when Boomer quickly adapts to his new surroundings and is soon wagging his tail at new neighbors.
Ellen Mandel
Review
THIS IS A DELIGHTFUL LITTLE BOOK WITH LOVELY, WITTY ILLUSTRATIONS. THE STORY IS ABOUT A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BOOMER, AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GOLDEN RETRIEVER. BOOMER WAKES ONE MORNING TO FIND SOMETHING UNUSUAL IS GOING ON. BOOMER'S FAMILY ARE RUSHING ABOUT, STRANGERS ARE PACKING ALL THE THINGS IN THE HOUSE INTO BOXES, AND HE CAN'T FIND HIS FAVOURITE TOY ANYWHERE. BOOMER'S FAMILY ARE MOVING HOUSE. THIS BOOK COULD BE USEFUL TO READ TO CHILDREN PRIOR TO MOVING HOUSE, TO ALLEVIATE NAY ANXIETIES THEY MAY HAVE. I HAD TO READ THIS STORY FOUR TIMES IN THE FIRST SITTING TO MY THREE YEAR. OLD, WHICH WAS A WELCOME CHANGE FROM "THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE STORIES". I ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT. --
KIWI PARENT