Puppy Persistence

Every being has a talent which sets them apart.  If you were to ask a group of students to write down the one thing for which they are the most adept, you would get a few similar answers but most would have replies as unique as they are.  For some this skill is apparent when they are young.  For others the gift will not shine until hope is nearly lost as to excelling at anything.

For those students who believe they have no talent, skill or gift, they need to recognize they do.  Antoinette (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, February 14, 2017) written by Kelly DiPucchio with pictures by Christian Robinson is a companion to the delightful Gaston (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, June 3, 2014). Lovable characters return to offer readers insights into the abilities which make each individual distinctive.

Mrs. Bulldog watched her puppies race through the yard.

She names each one---

Rocky, Ricky, Bruno and Antoinette.  

If you think those names don't quite mesh as a foursome it's because the first three are bulldog brothers and their sister puppy is a poodle.  The boys' gifts are already shining, clever, fast and strong.

Antoinette is not sure yet about what makes her special.  Her mother, Mrs. Bulldog, cheers her on with encouragement.  She is sure Antoinette is an extraordinary being.

Each day Mrs. Bulldog and Mrs. Poodle take their puppies to the park.  Rocky, Ricky, Bruno and Antoinette love to play with Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La and Gaston.  (Antoinette's affection for Gaston is apparent.)  In the middle of their play one day, the mothers notice something is wrong.  Ooh-La-La is missing.

Antoinette's three brothers use their skills to attempt to locate Ooh-La-La but she is not to be found.  Antoinette wants to bring the missing Ooh-La-La home.  She puts her nose to work winding her way through the streets of Paris with courage and determination.  Nearing the city museum Antoinette starts barking as the canine crew follows close behind her.

Are dogs allowed in the museum?  They are not.  One persistent poodle is about to find her skill and a good friend as she woofs and weaves her way through the crowd.


It's clear Kelly DiPucchio enjoys fashioning a playful undertone with words throughout her narrative.  Several times during the story she repeats groups of words which are simply fun to read out loud.  You can't help it!

During the search for Ooh-La-La she creates a cadence as each brother employs their skills. Further rhythm is felt in her comedic puns and use of alliteration.  Here is a sample passage.

Well, unlike her burly brothers, she still hadn't quite discovered what she was good at.
"Chin up!" barked her mother.
"You have something extra special.  I can feel it in my bones!"


Looking at the opened, matching dust jacket and book case you can feel a question forming in your mind.  Why is Antoinette racing through the crowd of people?  The image stretches from the back, left, edge to the front, right, edge.  All the people seem to be in a hurry, walking in full stride, just like Antoinette.  There's something alluring about the brush strokes Christian Robinson uses in painting his background.  If you run your fingers over it with little imagination it feels like pavement.  The title text is raised.

The brown skirt patterned in blue flowers with green leaves worn by one of the people (on the back) is used on the spine and the opening and closing endpapers.  The title and verso pages have a white background highlighting activity from the street as Antoinette races along with the vehicles, a scooter and rider and a bicycle rider.  Rendered in acrylic paint all the pictures are like frozen moments of animation.  You expect them to leap to life at any second.

When Christian Robinson paints in this book, first you focus on the puppies and Antoinette but then your eyes drift over all the details he places in each scene.  You'll notice the bluebirds drinking from the birdbath in the yard, the place setting for one person in Mrs. Bulldog's home, the interpretation of the words clever, fast and strong for the brothers, the butterfly in the park, the bubble blower, the activities of the people on the Paris streets and in exactly which museum Ooh-La-La is discovered.  The heavy, matte-finished paper is ideal for Christian's style in these images, nearly all spanning two pages.

One of my favorite illustrations is when the four puppies are in the living room of Mrs. Bulldog's human's home.  The background is a darker khaki color on the walls and floor.  A single painting hangs on the wall, a large circle of rusty red on black.  Rocky the clever is seated in a wagon attached to Ricky the fast.  To entice Ricky a stick is holding a bone on a string over his head.  Rocky is indeed clever.  Bruno the strong is lifting up the edge of the sofa to get a ball.  Antoinette is seated on the sofa wondering how she is special.


This book, Antoinette, written by Kelly DiPucchio with pictures by Christian Robinson is a celebration of the singular skills each person can and will discover within themselves.  For those not sure where their talents are, this book will inspire them.  You could not ask for a better companion title to the first book, Gaston.  I think you will have multiple requests for read it again.

To learn more about Kelly DiPucchio and Christian Robinson and their other work please take a few minutes to explore their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Kelly DiPucchio maintains a blog which is linked to her name.  At the publisher's website you can view six interior illustrations.  Christian Robinson is a guest on The Horn Book podcast 1.33 October 17, 2016.

To Belong

I daresay that at one time or another each of us has felt like a square peg in a round hole.  Sometimes this can be a very good thing. (I'm talking about all those incidents my Dad said, "If everyone jumps off a cliff, are you going to jump too?") Not following the crowd or fitting in at the moment was a smart decision.  On the flip side standing out in a crowd, being different, is hard work, being brave over and over.  The rewards may be little or difficult to find now and then.

A new title, Gaston (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, June 3, 2014) with words by Kelly DiPucchio and pictures by Christian Robinson follows a pooch with plans and a purpose.  Little does he or Mrs. Poodle know of the shock spring will bring.  Let's begin at the beginning.

Mrs. Poodle admired her new puppies.

Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La and Gaston.

Puppies, all puppies, are precious so Gaston was as warmly loved as his three siblings. Even the least observant reader will notice a discrepancy before they are introduced a second time. When the newest family members began to grow Gaston was considerably larger than the other three.

Gaston worked as hard as he could when life lessons began in earnest; sip not slobber, yip not yap and tip toe not run.  He really tried his best.  Anyone who saw him would see one happy dog.

On their first visit to the park in the spring Mrs. Poodle led her pups with pride.  So did Mrs. Bulldog.  It was clear when comparing the two sets of four that something was not quite right.  The names of the little bulldogs were Rocky, Ricky, Bruno and Antoinette.  It seemed a switch had been made.

The moms agreed to let their children make the decision.  After much fun and frolic, the two sets of four looked perfectly proper; Mrs. Poodle had four poodles and Mrs. Bulldog had four bulldogs.  We readers know just because something looks good does necessarily mean it is good.

Antoinette did not sip, yip or tip toe like her new sisters did.  Gaston did sip, yip and tip toe but his new brothers did not.  Certain parties raced to the park the next morning.  There was no fun or frolic but fast actions fashioned a new future for the two foursomes.


When you read some books for the first time, then the second and third times, it's impossible not to do so without reading it aloud in your mind.  The narrative, the words, demands it of you.  The combinations are playful and musical.  Kelly DiPucchio has done this with her story Gaston.  

When readers are introduced to Mrs. Poodle's and Mrs. Bulldog's puppies she has us read their names but then she says,

Would you like to see them again?

DiPucchio wants us to be active participants in this tale.  There is light humor throughout comparing Gaston to his sisters, as well as having Antoinette prefer to remain with her bulldog brothers.  Many of her phrases rhyme or use alliteration to enhance the cadence of her telling.  Here is a single sample.

And they were taught to walk with grace. Never race!
Tip.    Toe.   Tippy-toe.   WHOA!


You simply have to touch the dust jacket and book case created by Christian Robinson.  The brush strokes on both, as well as all the illustrations rendered using acrylic paint, are an open invitation.  You see the texture, and then you want to feel it.  On the dust jacket many of the elements are raised like embossing.  Children love to run their hands over these types of illustrations. (So do I.)  The pattern on the chair where Gaston is seated appears on the opening and closing endpapers.  The back of the jacket and case show Mrs. Poodle looking at her pups all in a row with their backs to the reader.  You have to smile at the difference between Gaston and his sisters.

There is definite foreshadowing in the opening two page picture across the verso and title page as a doctor wheels out a carriage with a poodle riding in it and as a bulldog peers out the top of a box in the corner.  Robinson varies his visual sizes to elevate the story; two page and single page spreads, edge to edge, or single pages with large white space loosely framing a rectangle.  There is a distinct warmth and charm to his choice of colors; more muted and earth tone.  His dogs are as cute as cute can be.

One of my favorite illustrations is in the living room of the home where Mrs. Poodle and her family reside.  On the wall is a framed poodle picture.  Gaston's chair is in the corner next to Mrs. Poodle in the center, sitting all prim and proper.  The three little poodles with Gaston on the right end are sitting in a row in front of her.  This visual with the text makes me burst out laughing every single time.


Knowing where you truly belong is at the heart of Gaston written by Kelly DiPucchio with illustrations by Christian Robinson.  Comfort comes from within.  This winsome title is an absolute treasure.

If you want to know more about Kelly DiPucchio and Christian Robinson please follow the links embedded in their names to access their websites. UPDATE Julie Danielson at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast has lots of art from this title and other dog titles in a post.