Good Rosie!

June 1, 2018
Grades K-2 Short, episodic chapters and a gentle plotline make this winsome graphic novel particularly well suited to early readers. George and Rosie, a brown-and-white terrier, have a pretty solid routine of breakfast, a walk, and looking at clouds, but Rosie is lonely. George, a balding, bespectacled gentleman with a cane and a long coat, eventually catches on and takes Rosie to the dog park. But new dogs are scary to shy Rosie, and it takes some time before she finally warms up to the other pups at the park. Bliss' naturalistic, amiable cartoons appear on wide, open panels, and close-ups of George's and the dogs' faces make characters' feelings unmistakable, which will be particularly helpful for newly independent readers. Despite the story's low page count, DiCamillo infuses a surprising amount of character development: George recognizes his pal's loneliness; Rosie gets over her shyness; and three very different dogs figure out how to be friends. With humor and heart, this easy, inviting volume offers an empowering message to little ones nervous about making new friends.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Starred review from July 1, 2018
A lonely, brown-and-white terrier named Rosie learns how to stand up to a bully and how to make new friends in this understated, gently humorous story.Rosie lives with her owner, George, a middle-aged, balding man with glasses and suspenders and a rather staid lifestyle. Though Rosie loves George, she would really like to meet another dog, so on their daily walks they begin visiting a dog park. At first Rosie doesn't know how to make friends, but a tiny, bouncy dog named Fifi teaches Rosie and a blustery Saint Bernard named Maurice how it's done. Rosie's journey takes her from loneliness through fear and bravery and then on to joyous companionship with her new pals. By the conclusion, the three dogs are running and playing together, and George is chatting with two women on a park bench, making friends of his own. George is white, and two of the other dog owners are people of color. Each of the three dogs has a distinct personality, conveyed both in the succinct text and in engaging watercolor illustrations laid out in panels of different configurations as well as some full-page illustrations. Cartoonist Bliss' humor shines as it works with DiCamillo's understated text.Subtle lessons about entering a new and unfamiliar territory, finding companions, and the value of a friendly, approachable attitude are all conveyed with a delicate touch. Good Rosie--good story. (Picture book. 4-8)

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January 1, 2019
Timid terrier Rosie and middle-aged man George lead a humdrum life until she meets Saint Bernard Maurice and vivacious little Fifi at the dog park. Comic-book panels, with easy narrative text and balloon dialogue, make this a good choice for new readers; Blisss crisp line-and-watercolor illustrations are lovingly attentive to real dog poses. DiCamillo expertly drops musings about the quirks of friendship into the deceptively straightforward story.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-Rosie the terrier loves her owner, George, but she feels lonely. Realizing that his pet needs to befriend other canines, George takes her to the park. But Rosie doesn't know any of these dogs, and she doesn't like Maurice, a hulking, drooly St. Bernard, or Fifi, a perky little papillon-at least not at first. Yet when an encounter between the other two dogs almost goes dreadfully wrong, Rosie steps in and discovers she might know more about friendship than she thought. Dividing the book into nine brief parts, author and illustrator allow this quiet graphic novel to unfold slowly. Though Bliss depicts idyllic, verdant parks full of smiling pups, he lets a hint of melancholy creep in as Rosie gazes longingly at dog-shaped clouds in the sky and her own reflection in her empty food dish. DiCamillo's contemplative, understated text perfectly complements Bliss's elegantly composed watercolors. Forging new bonds can be both tantalizing and overwhelming, they acknowledge, but children will feel up to the challenge after seeing Rosie conquer her anxieties. VERDICT A superb friendship story and a lovely choice for one-on-one sharing, especially with little ones with first-day-of-school jitters.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2018
Terrier Rosie and middle-aged man George lead a measured, slightly humdrum life together, but everything changes when they trade in their morning walk for something new: a visit to the dog park. Timid Rosie is not at all sure about this turn of events, especially when Saint Bernard Maurice looms over her in an attempt to make friends, a relationship concept each only imperfectly understands. It takes the vivacious little Fifi, all ears and tail and bejeweled collar, to teach them both how to be a friend. Comic-book panels, with a mixture of easy narrative text and balloon dialogue, make the book a good choice for new readers, and Bliss's crisp line-and-watercolor illustrations are lovingly attentive to real dog postures and poses (as far as Rosie and Maurice go, anyway; the anthropomorphized Fifi seems to have bounced in from a different book). DiCamillo?casually, expertly?drops musings about the quirks and turns of friendship into the deceptively straightforward story. roger Sutton

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from June 25, 2018
Rosie the terrier and her middle-aged owner, George, are loving companions and creatures of habit. But when Rosie sees her reflection in her empty food bowl (“The other dog never answers”), she yearns for companions of her own species. One day, George decides to visit the local dog park, and Rosie is more than a little hesitant (“Rosie does not like the dog park. There are too many dogs.”). Then she meets Fifi the Chihuahua and Maurice the Saint Bernard. Though their friendship is not without initial missteps (Rosie must overcome her innate reticence, Maurice must promise that he will not try to eat Fifi—again), it changes Rosie’s world. DiCamillo’s deep empathy for her shy, lonely protagonist will come as no surprise, but her portrayal of Rosie as genuinely puzzled by the mechanics of friendship is particularly astute. Bliss (Diary of a Worm) works in a paneled comics format, and it proves felicitous for his formal drawing style and deadpan humor. This is no shaggy dog story—it’s thoughtful and funny, and a real gift for emerging readers. Ages 5–8. Author’s and illustrator’s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties.