School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Anyone who has ever had a hyperactive pet will understand Dog's need for a little adventure. When too many naps cause this cattle dog to go stir crazy, Bird shoos him off to the country to find a cow. Stevens's watercolor paintings show Dog's journey from city elevator to wide open spaces as he encounters first a chicken, then a pig, and finally a donkey before lying down dejectedly in the dust. Children will enjoy correcting Dog as he mistakes each of these animals for a bovine and will likely chime in with the corresponding animal noises. Upon seeing the poor defeated Dog, a cow kindly takes pity on him and helps him find his way back to the city. After being shooed back outside the city limits by alarmed urbanites yelling things like, "eee-eee-kkk!!" and "Call the POLICE!!!," Dog finally learns that his helpful friend is indeed the cow he's been searching for. After such a long and exciting adventure, Dog decides he's finally ready for one of those naps again. This simple and engaging story is well told, but it is the vibrant and energetic artwork that makes it stand out in a crowd.-Jenna Boles, Washington-Centerville Public Library, OH (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Tired of the commotion caused by an antsy house dog, a pet bird persuades the canine that he should head to the country to herd cows (never mind that neither of these city slickers knows what a cow is). Crummel's mixed-media artwork gives the story's familiar barnyard animals ample personality (most of them quite cranky and unpleasant), as Dog mistakes one after another for a cow. An angry chicken glares and claws at Dog, and a donkey, who's similarly enraged at being confused for a cow, kicks dog with a big "ka-boom." Stevens's text, meanwhile, is full of exclamations, repeated phrases, and animal noises that should encourage reader participation: "Dog walked and walked. There it was.... A COW! Ruff! Ruff! Yip! Yip! Yee-haw!" Finally, the discouraged dog unknowingly meets a cow that kindly takes him back home-a short-lived trip after the cow causes chaos on the city streets. The chief source of fun comes from readers knowing more than Dog, but it's not much compensation in a story in which the only two likable characters are either dimwitted or dull. Ages 4-8. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.