Publisher's Weekly
Little Brown Puppy makes a spontaneous present of a "big, beautiful bone" to his mother, kicking off a chain reaction of offspring-to-mother gifts among all his friends. The story culminates with a boy, who says to his mother, "Here's a kiss, and here's a hug,/ and here's my very special bug." The little ones always make their presentation in rhyme ("If all the lily pads are taken,/ please sleep on this until you waken," says Tiny Frog as he leaps through the air bearing a humongous leaf), and the mother dog's reply-"I love the bone, my Little Puppy. And I love you"- serves as a model for each grown-up's grateful response. Bunting and Sweet smartly scale their work to both the modest concept and the book's small paper-over-board format, and the results are beguiling. The economical text skips nimbly across the pages, while the delicate watercolors pack a surprising emotional intensity: when Mama Frog gleefully hoists her baby in the air, the little fellow spreads his arms wide and closes his eyes in sheer ecstasy. Ideal for year-round giving, this Valentine leaves no doubt that being loved is the greatest gift of all. Ages 3-5. (Jan.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo
Little Brown Puppy "loved his mama very much. So he got her the best present he could find - a big beautiful bone." He told his friends and they in turn get the best presents they can find for their mothers. Among them are Kitten who paints fish on her mother's supper dish, Frog who brings a beautiful leaf for his mother to sleep on, Little Pink Piglet who makes a pansy chain for his mother, Clever Little Monkey who makes a whirligig, and a little boy who gives his mother a hug and kiss and a "very special bug." The very simple storyline with a theme well-suited for Mother's Day is appropriate for preschoolers. Bunting has taken poetic license with her selection of animals, wild and tame, woodland and jungle. There is no real storyline here. It is really more a list of their gifts. A rhyming sentence accompanies each gift, and each Mama finishes with the sentence, "And I love you." Sweet's illustrations are full of whimsy and touches of humor. 2004, Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, Ages 2 to 5.
Library Journal
PreS-K-Little Brown Puppy bestows upon his mama a "big, beautiful bone" as a token of his love and devotion. His actions inspire his friends to present their mothers with lovely gifts as well. There are few surprises in this ode to family affection. Rather, the text is a catalog of each creature's present and the mother's equally tender response. Watercolor illustrations that are sweet without being saccharine enliven the text, but the book still doesn't break any new ground. An additional purchase.-Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
An adorable small volume is just the right size for little hands and says just the right words for little voices. A line of animal children-Little Brown Puppy, Snowy White Kitten, Clever Little Monkey, and so on, each want to give their mama a present. Each finds just the right thing: carrots for Soft Little Rabbit's mama; a big leaf for Tiny Frog's mama; and a daisy chain for Little Pink Piglet's mama. The only rhyme in the simple rhythmic text comes when the child gives the gift: "This strawberry's so red and sweet. / It's for you and me and Dad to eat," says Little Turtle. Each mama responds with a similar refrain: "I love the strawberry, my Little Turtle, and I love you." It ends with Billy, who knows what his mama wants: a kiss, a hug-and a "very special bug." Sweet's limpid and winsome images, in bright washes of color, balance the text without being cloying. (Picture book. 3-6)
Genre: Children's Fiction
Little Brown Puppy makes a spontaneous present of a "big, beautiful bone" to his mother, kicking off a chain reaction of offspring-to-mother gifts among all his friends. The story culminates with a boy, who says to his mother, "Here's a kiss, and here's a hug,/ and here's my very special bug." The little ones always make their presentation in rhyme ("If all the lily pads are taken,/ please sleep on this until you waken," says Tiny Frog as he leaps through the air bearing a humongous leaf), and the mother dog's reply-"I love the bone, my Little Puppy. And I love you"- serves as a model for each grown-up's grateful response. Bunting and Sweet smartly scale their work to both the modest concept and the book's small paper-over-board format, and the results are beguiling. The economical text skips nimbly across the pages, while the delicate watercolors pack a surprising emotional intensity: when Mama Frog gleefully hoists her baby in the air, the little fellow spreads his arms wide and closes his eyes in sheer ecstasy. Ideal for year-round giving, this Valentine leaves no doubt that being loved is the greatest gift of all. Ages 3-5. (Jan.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo
Little Brown Puppy "loved his mama very much. So he got her the best present he could find - a big beautiful bone." He told his friends and they in turn get the best presents they can find for their mothers. Among them are Kitten who paints fish on her mother's supper dish, Frog who brings a beautiful leaf for his mother to sleep on, Little Pink Piglet who makes a pansy chain for his mother, Clever Little Monkey who makes a whirligig, and a little boy who gives his mother a hug and kiss and a "very special bug." The very simple storyline with a theme well-suited for Mother's Day is appropriate for preschoolers. Bunting has taken poetic license with her selection of animals, wild and tame, woodland and jungle. There is no real storyline here. It is really more a list of their gifts. A rhyming sentence accompanies each gift, and each Mama finishes with the sentence, "And I love you." Sweet's illustrations are full of whimsy and touches of humor. 2004, Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, Ages 2 to 5.
Library Journal
PreS-K-Little Brown Puppy bestows upon his mama a "big, beautiful bone" as a token of his love and devotion. His actions inspire his friends to present their mothers with lovely gifts as well. There are few surprises in this ode to family affection. Rather, the text is a catalog of each creature's present and the mother's equally tender response. Watercolor illustrations that are sweet without being saccharine enliven the text, but the book still doesn't break any new ground. An additional purchase.-Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
An adorable small volume is just the right size for little hands and says just the right words for little voices. A line of animal children-Little Brown Puppy, Snowy White Kitten, Clever Little Monkey, and so on, each want to give their mama a present. Each finds just the right thing: carrots for Soft Little Rabbit's mama; a big leaf for Tiny Frog's mama; and a daisy chain for Little Pink Piglet's mama. The only rhyme in the simple rhythmic text comes when the child gives the gift: "This strawberry's so red and sweet. / It's for you and me and Dad to eat," says Little Turtle. Each mama responds with a similar refrain: "I love the strawberry, my Little Turtle, and I love you." It ends with Billy, who knows what his mama wants: a kiss, a hug-and a "very special bug." Sweet's limpid and winsome images, in bright washes of color, balance the text without being cloying. (Picture book. 3-6)
Genre: Children's Fiction
Used availability for Eve Bunting's I Love You, Too!