Bow-Wow Wiggle-Waggle

DePalma (Uh-Oh!) offers a festive exercise in free association, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. Spare, gently comedic watercolors tell the story: a boy and his dog are playing fetch ("bow-wow/ wiggle-waggle/ yip-yap/ yowl!") when a cat appears ("paw-paw/ pitter-patter.../ meow!/ growl!"), and a multianimal ruckus ensues. The cat leaps over a stream, along with a frog ("Hip Hop!/ ribbet-ribbet/ splish-splish/ splash!") and scurries into shrubbery, from which a snake emerges ("Hiss! Hiss!/ slither-slither slip, / sink slide"). The dog's enthusiasm morphs into sadness when it realizes it has lost both the boy and the cat ("sag, flag/ sniffle-snuffle/ sputter/ bawl"), but a reunion isn't far away. Set against a pleasing balance of white space and peaceful greenery, DePalma's delicate artwork is clean and fresh; the excitable, wide-eyed dog is the star of the show and exudes the most personality as it bounds after the cat, stares at a squirrel, and tumbles joyfully with its owner in the closing scene. It's a fun read-aloud, but not a quiet one: preschoolers will be easily drawn into the book's verbal energy. Ages 3-7. (July)

PreS--In this story told exclusively with onomatopoetic narrative and watercolor illustrations, a boy and his dog encounter other animals while playing outdoors, and the text is presented in a variety of font types, sizes, and colors. The cat garners attention with "paw-paw pitter-patter...meow!" A butterfly distracts them, "FLEE, FLY FLUTTER-FLUTTER FLICKER, FLASH." They chase a frog: "HIP HOP! ribbet-ribbet splish-splish spLash!" Geese chase them from the pond, a snake and then rabbits appear from under the bushes, and the dog wanders off from the boy to chase a cat. The boy looks for the dog: "CALL crawl scramble ramble zip, skip...MEET! BOW-WOW wiggle-waggle YIP-YAP YAY!/HUG, SNUG, TUMBLE, CUDDLE, PET, PAT...PLAY!" The action unfolds across cheerful spreads; the lack of added details will help viewers focus on the action but may not support many repeated readings. The cartoon characters are small and of low contrast, making the book best suited for lap or small-group sharing. A tight textual rhythm is satisfying and will spark a conversation between the reader and viewer.--Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI