School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Preschool jitters are gently explored in dialogue format reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown's classic The Runaway Bunny (HarperCollins, 1942). Annie Claire, a puppy, asks questions that reflect her anxieties about starting school. Mom provides reassuring responses to quell her fears: "What if I spill my milk/All over the floor?/We'll just clean it up-/It's happened before." Soothing watercolors, outlined in pen on cold press paper, create soft illustrations that emphasize the fun, excitement, and positive aspects of this milestone. The animal classmates, teachers, school staff, and Mom and Annie Claire are portrayed with subtle facial expressions and gestures that support the text. What gives this tender title depth is the relationship between mother and daughter. The mother's comments are messages of love and encouragement. Annie Claire poignantly brings the story to its conclusion with a question about what her mother's day will be like when she is at school. A charming story for parent-child sharing.-Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
As she savors her last day of freedom with her beloved mother, a puppy proves to be a cute bundle of anxieties. What if school is a series of small disasters-spilled milk, social rejection, homesickness and snoring during naptime? Mom confesses to a little anxiety herself ("We will get used to this./ We both have to try"), but adds that nothing is really changing: "My love stays with you/ Wherever you are-/ Whenever I'm near you,/ Whenever I'm far." Carlstrom's cooing and Moore's dainty watercolors probably make this too mushy for many, but children who need big doses of comfort may find it the literary equivalent of a security blanket. Ages 3-7. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
