The Pocket Dogs - Hardcover

Wild, Margaret

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439239737 ISBN 13: 9780439239738

Publisher: Scholastic, 2001

Synopsis

Biff and Buff are always carried around in Mr. Pockets' coat pockets, but when Biff finds himself lost in a hole that has become too big, it is up to Mr. Pockets to locate him and reassure him that all is well once more.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

An Australian team confidently delivers a tale about overcoming fear. Mr. Pockets, a kindly middle-aged gentleman with a large nose and a polka-dot muffler, carries his two small dogs, Biff and Buff, in his overcoat pockets everywhere he goes. The right pocket has a hole, though, and he loses Biff when the seam opens and the dog falls out onto the supermarket floor. Several patrons offer to rescue Biff, but he isn't interested in making friends and runs away: "Biff didn't like being a shopping basket dog. He was a pocket dog, Mr. Pockets' pocket dog." Luckily, Mr. Pockets locates Biff after another suspenseful moment or two. Wild (Our Granny) uses short words and repetitive phrases to convey a depth of emotion. Along with the main theme of getting lost and separated, the book contains a premonitory dream of Biff's about becoming separated from his owner, plus a subplot about communication gaps the dogs try to warn Mr. Pockets about the fraying pocket, but for all his kindliness, he cannot understand them. King's (A Special Kind of Love) benevolent, well-padded people and child's-eye perspective of legs and carts add charm and credence to the tale: Biff's dream is scary without becoming too terrifying, and the portrayal of the kindly shoppers will reassure youngsters that Biff will be okay until he finds his way back to his rightful place. Ages 3-7.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-Mr. Pockets loves to take his two small dogs everywhere. Biff always rides in the right pocket of his blue plaid coat, and Buff in the left. While out and about one day, Biff notices a small hole in his pocket that begins to grow "bigger and bigger and bigger." He tries to tell his master, but can only manage a "Ruff! Ruff!" Buff warns Biff, "One day you will fall out of the pocket.-On to the ground. You might get lost!" Of course, the very next morning when the trio goes to the store, Biff falls onto the crowded floor, where all of the human legs surrounding him look alike. Several people come to the aid of the pup, putting him in their shopping cart, basket, or doll carriage. Biff doesn't like any of this, for he is a pocket dog. Having run away from his would-be rescuers, cowering on the floor and feeling scared and alone, he is finally found by his congenial master, who deftly sews up the hole. The soft-hued watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations convey the warmth and whimsy that surround Mr. Pockets and his beloved pets. With its happy ending, this is a good choice for children who have worries about getting lost.

Lisa Gangemi Krapp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0439239737
• ISBN 13: 9780439239738
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: King Stephen Michael