Sarah Hayes

Mary Mary (who, not surprisingly, is quite contrary) isn't afraid of anything --not even the giant who lives on a hill overlooking town. To prove her bravery, she marches up the hill one day, and discovers that the giant is not nasty and mean, but sad and lonely. And his house is a mess--littered with dishes in need of washing, clothes in need of mending and pottery in need of gluing. Mary Mary declares that what the giant needs is "managing," and she appoints herself to the task. In no time show more at all, the giant--and his house--are sparkling clean, and the two hatch a plan to show the townsfolk how kind the giant is. He becomes a one-man playground on which the delighted children frolic--swinging on swings hanging from his fingers and toes, sliding down his legs and playing hide-and-seek in his hair. Hayes is a superb storyteller who deftly uses understatement and humour in her tale. Equally impressive are Craig's amusingly detailed pictures--especially those featuring the amiable giant. show less

The retellings are told decently enough, but they are unimpressive when compared to the lovely illustrations by P.J. Lynch. Indeed, I would go so far as to say the illustrations overshadow the stories!

3.5

I read this one as I was printing new spine labels for some of our picture books at work. The art style is quirky and reminds me of Hyperbole and a Half. I liked the embrace (to the end) of the absurd.

Imagine going to school and finding that your teacher is a dog! That's the premise of this amusing new book. Ben and Ellie's new teacher, Riff, shows the class such useful skills as sniffing, tail wagging, barking and more. The children take P.E., nap, and receive a surprise visit from the principal, Mrs. Pink.

The humor in Dog Day is completely in the artwork. This is Hannah Broadway's first picture book. Her style is simple and funny. There is no description of the medium used in the front show more or end papers, but she appears to use pen and acrylics, each character outlined in black. The features are mere dots; the children's moods are understood by their word bubbles and goofy mannerisms as they shake, pant, and wag their bottoms. Some collage art is used, in depicting denim jeans, wood flooring, and other textured surfaces. Hannah Broadway should have a good future in children's' book illustrations.

This would be a great choice for storytime. It invites participation, as children can act like dogs with Ben and Ellie. Only the choice of the word "poo" ("What's that smell? It smells like poo.")might deter me from reading this very cute story to a crowd. show less