Big Dog, Little Dog
by Sally Rippin; illus. by Lucinda Gifford
Preschool, Primary    Kane Miller    32 pp.    g
3/22    978-1-68464-383-7    $12.99

Big Dog is perfectly happy before Little Dog comes along. It’s just him and his human friend—yelling “Walkies!” while hanging onto the leash as Big Dog hurtles along; “Come!” as off-leash Big Dog trots away; “Up!” as Big Dog sprawls on the couch; “Sit!” as Big Dog jumps to see the kitchen counter; and, Big Dog’s favorite, “Get down!” whenever his human comes home. Life is good for this less-than-good dog, except for those long days waiting and waiting for “Get down!” to arrive. Here, Gifford’s cheerfully colored illustrations fade to gray as Big Dog looks forlornly out the window. Life changes one day when the pair meets a woman walking a tiny white dog; the latter two eventually move in, and Little Dog unintentionally makes Big Dog look bad by interpreting “Come!” and “Sit!” in a very different, very obedient manner. Little Dog must go! The physical differences between the dogs playfully show off their personalities: Big Dog’s huge, floppy hound ears and long tail versus Little Dog’s tiny wing-like ears and constantly wagging wisp of a tail. Rippin’s brief but amusing text lets the expressive illustrations fill in gaps and extend the story’s humor, as the pups soon become besties in this lighthearted Australian import about blended families.

From the March/April 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.