Children's Literature
- Ginjer L. Clarke
Building on a simple phrase, "Move over, Rover," this repeating story offers a twist by piling various backyard animals into Rover's doghouse during a rainstorm. The soft watercolor illustrations bring the wetness and movement of rain to life, and zoom in closer and closer on the scene as each animal crams in together, until the skunk arrives and the rest all scatter. The storm ends, Rover gets a chance to play, and then he retreats to his quiet doghouse, which is now empty. Kids will enjoy reading along with the rhymes that accompany each animal's entrance.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 1-Reminiscent of Mirra Ginsburg's Mushroom in the Rain (S & S, 1987) and Audrey Wood's The Napping House (Harcourt, 1984), this is the cumulative story of many animals all attempting to shelter from the rain in a doghouse. Children will love the hilarious ending when all of the inhabitants hastily vacate after an odiferous intruder tries to squeeze in, too. The marvelously textured watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations convey the feeling of a driving rain, the fur and feathers of the various creatures, and the joy of Rover when his house is once again his sole domain. The repetition of key phrases, the rhythmic text, and the cumulative structure of the narrative make this book an ideal read-aloud. The pictures and text evoke the cozy, warm feeling of curling up for a nap on a rainy day and the unbridled thrill of leaping out into the sun.-Tamara E. Richman, Somerset County Library System, Bridgewater, NJ Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
In this cumulative tale in the tradition of The Mitten and Mushroom in the Rain, a fluffy, friendly dog named Rover makes room in his doghouse for a succession of animals seeking shelter from a thunderstorm. The short, patterned text uses rhyming couplets and a cumulative refrain urging each animal in turn to squeeze into the crowded doghouse. The final arrival-a skunk-disperses the crowd, and Rover returns to his home to enjoy his solitude with all the other animals camouflaged within the surrounding scene in the final spread. Dyer's watercolors are as charming as always, drawing the reader into the action with varying perspectives to show the expanding group. She uses subtle streaks of gray and white to indicate the driving rain and just a barely opened eye to show that the sleeping animals are aware of each new addition to their refuge. The bouncy rhymes and expressive paintings complement each other well, melding into a simple but satisfying story that will fit into story hours with themes of rain, dogs, or sharing. (Picture book. 3-6)
