School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-In a picture book sure to make every librarian's heart sing, Schoenherr has created a simple rhyming primer on how to take good care of a library book. While the subject may seem didactic, the author/illustrator's charming approach will entice parents and professionals to share this title with young kids. Each spread features one simple admonition on the verso with an animal demonstrating the dreaded-or encouraged-behavior, rendered with gentle humor ("No dog-ears, please." "Find someplace else to sneeze." "Don't overdue it, just renew it."). One white, hand-lettered sentence per page is set against a bold color, and the ink and acrylic art features endearing animal library users on an expansive white space. The book is simple enough to use with preschool children and funny enough to be appreciated by early readers.-Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Publisher's Weekly Review
What's almost as important as reading? Schoenherr (Cat & Mouse) tells readers that it's respecting and caring for the books themselves. An anthropomorphized animal cast, meticulously rendered in ink and acrylic-and reminiscent of vintage Golden Book characters (the girls even wear pinafores)-serve as role models of thoughtlessness. Big, friendly type, a soupAon of slapstick and a pinch of wordplay help take the sting off the scolding (which centers on library books but also applies to privately owned books). White backdrops and minimal propping encourage readers to focus all their attention on the characters' breaches of etiquette. "No dog-ears, please," admonishes the left hand side of one spread, while on the right side a puppy is caught folding down the edge of a page. "Don't censor, delete, or deface," is the warning given to a shifty-looking fox who is striking out some lines of text with a thick black marker. Simple, direct and knowingly funny, this book is worthy of a permanent spot on the desks of youth librarians everywhere. Ages 2-4. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
