Poor Puppy

As a follow up book to "Bad Kitty" , "Poor Puppy" continues to be a delightful read. It continues with the theme established in "Bad Kitty" using letters of the alphabet in a creative, humorous means of learning letters. Again, when I read this to my grandchildren not only do they learn but it is fun for me to read to them. I laugh out loud at times.

This book is a wonderful romp through numbers and the alphabet. I found it funny and great to read with my kindergarten son. He loved reading through it and laughed at all of the situations. One of the best books in the Alphabet/Numbers "genre." Great artwork and a fun read.

This book (and it's companion, Bad Kitty) is, on the surface, an ABC book. However, the illustrations pile on layers of additional meaning that made my kindergarten-age boys laugh so hard they couldn't continue to read the book aloud. These books are to ABC books what Pixar was to animated film--they do the job so well that they reinvent the genre in the process--and they make Mom and Dad as eager for the next offering as the kids. The vocabulary is broad (but not scandalous) and you'll find your kids will want a few of the entries explained to them (Why is that funny, Mom? Mom? Stop laughing!) This is a parents-read-to-kids book for most kindergarten/first graders.

The imagination of the author easily succeeded my expectations. As I read the book, suddenly I was on an international adventure, which I believe will help children to be curious about the world. The paintings bring pleasure to our eyes. This book is a true jewel.

Poor Puppy is simply the best numbers & alphabet book on the market. It's art, fun, creativity, humor, and education--all in one delightful bundle. The book starts with a puppy playing with toys: one airplane, two balls, three cars, up to 26 zoo animals. Every illustration is beautiful and full of surprises. Just as an example: Of the puppy's 14 nutcrackers, one is a pirate, one a British businessman with bowler hat, one a circus director . . . each one unique and excquisitly painted. All panels are extraordinarily rich, well composed, and invite one to investigate in depth. When finished with the toys, the puppy dreams of playing games in different locations. Games and places are alphabetized and include apple bobbing in Antarctica, egg hunting on Easter Island, unicycling in Uganda, and--my personal favorite--yodeling in Yemen. Details like the elephant and donkey "wrestling in Washington D.C." are laugh-out-loud funny and make the book a delight not just for children. Poor Puppy is thoroughly enjoyable and deserving of an award. Nick Bruel has created a masterwork!