One Pup's Up by Marsha Wilson Chall, illustrated by Henry Cole

One pup in a tangled heap of delightfully plump puppies is up! He sets off to explore...and soon more puppies follow, one by one, drinking water, tumbling playfully, and checking out the fire hydrant. After a meal in the "Line-'em-up Cafe" the pups wind down, have their bath, and collapse into a tangled heap of sleepy puppies until...one pup's up!

Henry Cole's art is, as always, clean and full of life and humor. The splotchy, multicolored puppies are as adorable as puppies can be as they tumble and roll through the day. Some of the counting pages are easy, some are difficult with the puppies squooshed together. Chall's rhymes are bouncy and simple, although I found the switch between "pup" and "puppy" difficult in reading aloud. This story will work well in a mixed age storytime, with the varying difficult level in counting - and what child doesn't like puppies?

Verdict: Sweet pictures and a fun story. Recommended if you need additional concept books.


ISBN: 978-1416979609; Published June 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry; Borrowed from the library