  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 05/01/2016 PreS-Gr 1—Alliteration is key in this energetic book. Readers are introduced to the Ellis family members, whose names all begin with an E (Elaine, Emily, Elmer, etc.), including Ed, the Ellis's beloved dog. Ed notices that all of the Ellis children shine at something (soccer, math, ballet); however, he has difficulty discovering where his talent lies. He tries some naughty skills like "breaking stuff" and "losing things," but he never seems as accomplished as the rest of the family. His sadness dissipates after he is reminded by the children how much he excels at welcoming them home and warming their feet as they gather together at the end of the day. This is a diverse family with calming expressions that are illustrated well through the use of soft crayons and pencils, surrounded by gentle brushstrokes of light green and muted yellow. School librarians may enjoy reading this aloud, as it can spark wonderful discussions regarding pets, a favorite topic of children and adults alike. - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 08/01/2016 “All the Ellis children were excellent at something. Except Ed.” While Elaine excels at soccer, Ed (who may or may not realize that he is a dog) slobbers all over the ball. Ernie bakes exquisite cupcakes—Ed eats them. The kids even surpass Ed at the sweetly dim doggie skills that he claims for his own: breaking stuff (Elaine breaks a scoring record), losing things (the twins lose baby teeth), and forgetting stuff (the family ballerina forgets to be nervous and aces her audition). Pop-eyed, pointy-muzzled, slightly scruffy Ed is all tail-wagging ecstatic energy in warm, relaxed pencil lines with acrylic, watercolor, and crayon in glowing greens and yellows. Smart correlations between what Ed isn’t allowed to do and what he turns out to be really excellent at wrap this warm, fuzzy story of a close-knit African American family and their pet up with a bow. Ed joins the pack of picture books about irresistible pups that includes David Shannon’s Good Boy, Fergus! (2006) and Chris Raschka’s A Ball for Daisy (2011). - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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