Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby

In the third picture book featuring dog Buddy and hedgehog Earl (Buddy and Earl, rev. 9/15; Buddy and Earl Go Exploring, rev. 5/16), the two friends are excited at the prospect of a visit from a baby -- especially when Earl finds out how much he and babies have in common: they're both "small and adorable," "like to eat things off the floor," and "smell very interesting." But when the baby arrives, it turns out to be the havoc-wreaking, dog- and hedgehog-food-eating type, and Buddy and Earl are horrified. Once safely contained in a playpen, however, the baby charms Earl (worn-out Buddy is taking a nap); when it escapes, Earl wakes Buddy up so they can locate and protect it. Fortunately, they find the baby safe and sound, "washing" long-suffering Dad's shoe in the toilet. And by the time the baby is discovered by its mother, it has "washed" many of Dad's other possessions as well. (Buddy and Earl needed to keep it busy, didn't they?) At adventure's end, Earl decides that "babies and dogs have something in common, too...They both make the world a happier place." Once again, the friends' personalities play off each other beautifully in both the droll, deadpan text and the minimalist acrylic gouache illustrations. As low-key as the text, and in predominantly earth tones, the pictures use red accents brilliantly (such as when the howling baby is being hauled off to its playpen, face red as a beet). This series just keeps getting better and better: we'll all look forward to our next visit with Buddy and Earl. martha v. parravano

In the third picture book featuring dog Buddy and hedgehog Earl (Buddy and Earl; Buddy and Earl Go Exploring), the two friends are excited about a visit from a baby. Once again, the friends' personalities play off each other beautifully in both the droll, deadpan text and the minimalist, earth-toned acrylic gouache illustrations, which use red accents brilliantly.