Poor Puppy

Puppy, who was introduced at the very end of Bad Kitty, Nick Bruel's debut book about his badly behaved feline heroine, returns in this second picture-book, eager to play with his best friend. When Bad Kitty refuses to play with him, Puppy engages in a 1-26, A-Z list of activities, with his elusive feline companion (unbeknownst to him) keeping an eye on him. Then Puppy takes a nap, and dreams of another A-Z range of fun things he and Kitty could do together in various countries around the world. When he wakes up, he is delighted to discover that Bad Kitty is ready to play! Or is she...?

Like its predecessor, Poor Puppy and Bad Kitty is an alphabet book which features an amusing story, in this case that of a playful puppy who dreams of a show more companion who will join him in all of his fun activities. Nick Bruel adds counting and geography elements in this second picture-book, as Puppy's first A-Z sequence also features numbers, while his second one features countries, making this a title that addresses multiple early-learning concepts. Although I rated this one three stars, mostly because I have seen how well children take to the Bad Kitty books, and appreciate both the humor and the creative mixture of story and concept displayed here, I cannot honestly say that I found it that entertaining. The artwork isn't really to my taste - it feels a little flat to me - and overall the book felt a little too busy. Still, tastes vary, and as mentioned above, I have seen many children really take to the Bad Kitty books, so parents in the market for concept books might want to give this one a try, especially if their youngster enjoys silly humor. show less

Nick Bruel manages to mash up a counting book, an alphabet book, and an alliterative geography lesson into one light and amusing picture book. The dog and cat friction was so fun I didn't even mind the dream sequence.

I am a long time fan of Bad Kitty. And this was a perfect excuse to revisit Poor Puppy. I swear I am raising poor puppy right now. With all the things he plays with and all the dreams he has of going places. This book is fun, colorful, and a tongue twisting hayride of a fun story. More Please.

Poor Puppy
Nick Bruel
Roaring Brook Press, 36p.
Hardcover
3-6 years
The puppy wants to play with the kitty, so he goes through the alphabet twice - first trying to entice her to play (with 1 airplane, 2 balls, 3 cars, etc.), and then in his dreams, when he plays with her (apple bobbing in Antarctica, baseball in Brazil, etc.) The puppy's goofy enthusiasm is appealing, as Bruel has captured the puppy/cat dynamic - children will like this. I found the process of going through the alphabet twice rather tedious, but children who are mastering the alphabet might enjoy the drill.

I personally liked this counting book. I am not a cat person and I felt bad for the sweet puppy that wanted to play. It was a cute way of counting that will appeal to children. The images are great and show the items clearly enough for them to be counted by the children.

This is a cute number and ABC book. The illustrations have my kids in stiches! I especially like how the book takes the alphabet a step further by having kitty and puppy play different sports in different countries that start with the different letters of the alphabet. The book is well thought out and will be enjoyed by young children and their parents.

Jackson (and all his friends) LOVE Bad Kitty. I am ok with Bad Kitty. This time we get a walk through the alphabet with toys, then games and geography. I'd like to revisit this one with an atlas handy to show him (not just tell him) where all these places are.