Uh-oh, Hugo!

written by Jonathan Stutzman and illustrated by Jay Fleck

Hugo is an adorable puppy, who is ready for a perfect day with his human. Starting with a stretch and a yawn, he proceeds to have a day that may not be perfect. But, it’s wonderful anyway. He may grab a snake when he’s looking for a stick and gets too close to a skunk. He doesn’t let the “downs” of the day get in the way of the “ups” that are part of it as well. The day ends with a bath and a snuggle with his human – a perfect ending to a nearly perfect day.

Bright, bold illustrations add to simple text to create a wonderful story of perseverance and not letting the little stuff get you down. Hugo keeps chugging along and has a great day, ups and downs included. Recommended.

Spacebot by Mike Twohy

One quiet night, the family pup is snoozing in his dog house when something strange happens. The kitchen appliances notice it first. Then, the house looks up. Finally, the pup looks up (yep, that rhymes and so does the book!). A UFO lands and out walks a…robo-dog. The pup is thrilled! A new friend! But, this spacebot is actually a friend of the kitchen appliances, who greet him like a long-lost relative. He points up and they all start to fly, except the pup, who begins to feel a bit neglected. The appliances have a joyous space romp and are finally directed to return to their places in the kitchen, cords trailing. The spacebot turns to enter his UFO and stops to toss a red ball to the pup. This is no ordinary ball, though. It fits on his nose and he begins to fly!

Spacebot is a fun, rhyming frolic of a story. One must smile at the happy group of kitchen appliances as they soar around the night sky. Toaster loopty-loops and refrigerator nearly loses her magnets as they fly around with their electrical buddies. Pup’s disappointment is palpable until he is gifted with the magical red ball. Text is minimal and illustrations are dynamic as the story moves forward. This is a great book for the newly-minted reader and can be used as a read-aloud. Highly recommended.