  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 04/01/2014 PreS-Gr 2—Set to the tune of "Hickory Dickory Dock," Murray's original text perfectly fits the traditional nursery song. Zack and his scruffy and adorable dog Rufus go through a day of activities, from rising when the alarm clock rings to bedtime. In between, they play in a park, paint, eat lunch, garden, and bathe. The language is pure fun in places ("Hickory dickory dee,/Haroo!/Hurrah!/Yippee!") and always child-friendly. The digitally rendered artwork is colorful and appealing. Various analog clock faces are highlighted throughout the illustrations, reinforcing the passage of time. The book begs to be read aloud or, even more appropriately, sung aloud. The generous size of the book, the clarity and appeal of the illustrations, and the fluidity of the text make it a good choice for storytime. And if shared one-on-one, the text and art will elicit great conversations.—Maralita L. Freeny, District of Columbia Public Library - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2014 In a rhyming riff on “Hickory Dickory Dock,” Murray outlines a day in the life of a boy and his dog, Rufus, with numberless clocks keeping time in the background throughout. Supposed to stay home while the boy attends school, Rufus sneaks into the schoolyard, and follows the boy around, participating in recess, dress-up, art time, lunch, and gardening activities; he is quite a mess of paint, glue, and lunch by the time school is out, so a bath is required when the two return home. A snack and a story follow, and then it’s bedtime: “Now it’s time for the end of the rhyme. . . . Hickory, dickory, dog.” This isn’t quite as clever as Murray’s previous nursery-rhyme-themed outings (Apple Pie ABC, BCCB 6/11; and One Two That’s My Shoe!, BCCB 7/12) and the writing is more contrived, with some elements appearing simply for the sake of rhyme. Murray’s usual retro-toned digital artwork is attractive, though, and shaggy, golden Rufus is a charmer, whether helpfully retrieving a dripping bottle of paint or gleefully riding in a bike-pulled cart, ears tossed back by the motion. While younger children won’t be able to make use of the clocks in the backgrounds that mark the passing time, older ones may enjoy reasoning out the times based on the clocks’ hand positions. This might make an enjoyable addition to a nursery-rhyme or school-themed story session or part of a study of Murray’s books. JH - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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