PICTURE BOOK REVIEWS: Spencer's New Pet/Hide and Seek
ABOUT THE BOOK
From the creator of Not Quite Narwhal comes a classic tale of a boy and his dog—except in this unique story, one of them is a balloon!
When Spencer gets a new pet, he’s excited to do all the things that pets do—taking walks in the park, going to the vet, and attending parties together.
There’s just one hitch: Spencer’s new pet is a balloon.
And that means No. Sharp. Objects.
No drooling dogs at the park. No prickly porcupines at the vet. And absolutely no pinning tails on any donkeys!
Spencer’s New Pet is a story of pure fun about a boy, his dog, and a friendship that endures life’s sharpest...and most unexpected twists.
REVIEW
This primarily wordless picture book follows a young boy named Spencer and his dog. That seems simple enough until the author/illustrator changes a couple of things. First the dog is clearly a balloon animal and second, the story is told like an old silent movie with a countdown and everything. Each primary scene is introduced with a black screen shot and a few words. The action takes place completely in the illustrations. The first scene revolves around the boy's playing, feeding, and bathing his dog before taking it to the vet, where they meet a hedgehog. A hedgehog with sharp spines! Yikes. On to scene two, wherein Spencer and the dog visit a park and enjoy being around other people and their dogs. Except the balloon dog is threatened with popping a bunch of times before fleeing into a birthday party. The boy pursues his pet through the party hoping to catch the dog before disaster strikes. At this point in the story I thought I knew what was going to happen. I was wrong. The author/illustrator throws in a completely unexpected event leading to an ending I did not see coming at all. I didn't think the book was spooky at all until I got to the end. Now that I've had a chance to think about it, I think I'd be careful using this with really young children, it might startle or scare them. Older children on the other hand might really enjoy the surprise and twist at the end. The black-and-white illustrations with just a touch of red work really well for this story as does the silent movie style presentation. A entertaining new look at life with a pet.
The mischievous stars of Seen and Not Heard climb out of their paintings for another nighttime adventure in this gently spooky bedtime story.
A midsummer moon shines on Shiverhawk Hall, where portraits of children come alive on the wall. As night falls, the playful painted residents wake up for another Gorey-esque rhyming caper. When the DeVillechild twins are nowhere to be seen, the other children escape their frames in search of two girls in white dresses -- and, possibly, a midnight game in the garden. Out in the night air, through the maze, and into the woods they go, looking for their mysterious friends. Will they be able to find the twins before the sun rises? Charming and eerie without ever being too scary, Katie May Green's second tale is perfect for Halloween story times and bedtime read-alouds after a long day of play.
REVIEW
After a pair of twins sneak out of their painting and head outside to explore, their companions follow them. The children then proceed to play an unofficial game of hide and seek. The following children enjoy being outside while they look for their friends. But when it starts to rain the children must return home. I didn't find this book particularly scary although some small children might. The children are simply playing a game in a slightly spooky environment. I quite liked the illustrations. They have a rather old-fashioned feel, which makes sense considering the children come from old-fashioned paintings and are wearing old-fashioned clothing. I found this to be a slightly spooky tale of a romp through the yard by a group of children that just happen to come from paintings on a wall.
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