Where's Stretch?

My 3 yr old grandson loves this book. It was a regular bedtime story and then it came up missing. We were really saying "Where's Stretch?" We loved the story so much that I decided to replace the book as a Christmas gift.

My 2 year old twins love this book. Amazingly, they can read it over and over, each time pretending not to know where Stretch is hiding and pointing out the "clues" given on each page.

We love dachshunds in this family. This is a very cute book and the grandchildren love it. They love finding the dachsie in each picture.

My daughter loved this book from the moment she opened it. Now almost two, she's had the book for a couple of months and still wants to read it over and over. She especially enjoys finding the hidden stretch in each picture (Hint: check the laundry for body parts sticking out). We have to read it before bed every night now, and sometimes before her nap. The flaps seem quite sturdy, and show no sign yet of pulling off. The art seems a little dated (retro forties?), and this adds extremely well to the charm of the story. If your child likes lift-a-flap books, this is a good one to add to your library. If you're not sure, this is a good one to try: dogs and hidden objects-what more could a child want?

Children love lift-the-flap books. Children love dogs. Author Karen Pandell and Illustrator Jill McElmurry successfully combine the two in "Where's Stretch?" a charming book that young readers will adore. The family of Stretch, the dog, is getting ready for laundry day when they decide to give Stretch a bath. Of course, Stretch makes himself scarce and the search for Stretch begins. Is he in the closet? No. Is he in the bathtub? No. Where can that dog be? Your children will delight in the search for Stretch and will love the surprise at the end when Stretch's hiding place is revealed. The text is effectively presented as family dialogue, bringing the reader into the search for Stretch and eliminating a lot of unnecessary words that would detract from the story and make things harder for the beginning reader. The story was so compelling and easy to follow, my 2-and-a-half year old memorized the book after having it only half a day. A few months later, after the newness has worn off, it is still one of her favorite books. McElmurry's illustrations show the family searching for Stretch as they get ready for their day. The pictures, which fill the pages with scenes from Stretch's family's home, invite the reader in to participate in finding Stretch. I highly recommend "Where's Stretch?" Your children will want to read it again and again; so will you. You will enjoy seeing your children's delight with each lift of a flap and the story is short and sweet so it won't drive you crazy the 150th time you read it.