  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 10/01/2018 Little Brown the dog is cranky. But is it because the other dogs at the dog park won't play with him, or do they refuse to play with him because he's cranky? It's a conundrum that is only heightened when Little Brown decides to show his increasing displeasure by stealing the other dogs' toys, one by one, until he sits atop a mountain of stuff. The dogs huddle, pondering the source of Little Brown's foul mood. Should they play with him to get their toys back? Little Brown, for his part, wonders what to do, too. But as night falls and the contemplating only continues, the dogs decide to go home and think about it all tomorrow. This bit of Scarlett O'Hara philosophy may not prove entirely satisfying to preschoolers, but it might be a starting-off point for discussions about kids who don't play in conventional ways. As usual, Frazee's illustrations, rendered in pencil and gouache, have a high charm factor, including the endpapers that feature portraits of each of the park dogs. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. School Library Journal - 11/01/2018 PreS-Gr 2—Little Brown feels isolated at the dog park. The other dogs play and communicate with one another while he sits alone next to the chain-link fence. Frazee poses the conundrum: is his grouchiness the reason he's left alone or does being friendless put him in a perpetually bad mood? Fed up with being ignored, Little Brown suddenly and methodically seizes all the toys the other animals have been enjoying. Astounded at his actions, they all sit and stare at him in confusion as he perches, King of the Mountain–style, on top of his toy-hostage haul. Illustrations in gouache and black Prismacolor are in muted shades of gray, tan and rust. Thought bubbles let readers in on the dogs' bewilderment and indecision on what to do about their situation. And their decision is classic. The endpapers show every one of the 17 dogs pictured and labeled with its name, except for Little Brown whose photo has a question mark attached to it. VERDICT An open-ended story that creates a great starting point for meaningful discussion with young children about bullying and inclusion.—Maryann H. Owen, Oak Creek Public Library WI - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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