Bonaparte - Hardcover

Chall, Marsha Wilson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 078942617X ISBN 13: 9780789426178

Publisher: Dk Pub, 2000

Synopsis

When a young French boy goes away to school, he and his dog are sad to be separated until they find a way to change the school's rules about dogs. By the illustrator of Sophie and Rose.

About this title

About the Author

Martha Wilson Chall has written several books for children, including Rupa Raises the Sun, illustrated by Roseanne Litzinger and published by DK Ink. Other works include Sugarbush Spring, Up North at the Cabin, and Mattie. She lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Wendy Anderson Halperin has illustrated many books for children including The Full Belly Bowl by Jim Aylesworth, Homeplace by Anne Shelby, Hunting the White Cow by Tres Seymour, and most recently, Sophie and Rose by Kathryn Lasky and Once Upon a Company, which Ms. Halperin also wrote. She lives in Interlochen, Michigan.

Reviews

Grade 1-3-Bonaparte, a shaggy dog, misses his school-bound boy so much that he ventures from their village to Paris for a reunion. Unfortunately, La School d'Excellence has a "no dogs allowed" policy that hardly deters the clever canine from donning disguises to gain entry. Though barred at every turn, he and Jean Claude eventually connect and even affect change at the stuffy school. The language in this well-told story stretches readers' imagination-"Alone late that night on a pillow of stone, Bonaparte longed for the warm lap where he'd sprawled, lumpy and baggy with ease." Every page is bordered by a unique and sometimes elaborate pattern. This frame is then subdivided into sections. Within each one, a pencil-and-watercolor image embellishes the plot. All text is housed within its own dialogue box on every page. Readers will pore over the details in the pictures, panel by panel. Love conquers all in Bonaparte.
Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Fresh as a newly baked croissant, this delightful confection finds a lonely pooch longing for his young master's warm lap and "determined to find his boy" after Jean Claude is sent off to boarding school. Sadly, "La School d'Excellence" has a strict policy: "NO DOGS ALLOWED." This doesn't deter Bonaparte, however, who sniffs out Jean Claude's trail. Halperin's (Sophie and Rose) charming pencil and watercolor panel drawings chronicle the canine's route through the breathtaking streets of Paris, with its cafs, fountains and fruit stands (one heartbreaking vignette shows the furry fellow sleeping "on a pillow of stone" at the foot of a statue), until he storms the school's gates. He arrives daily in a different disguise as the boy's mother, he's twigged when he offers the registrar his dog license as I.D.; as a new drummer in the high school band, his tail (which wags "in four-quarter time") gives him away. The day Bonaparte turns up as the new janitor, his canine talents are finally appreciated: Jean Claude is discovered missing and it's up to Bonaparte to track him down. Chall's (Rupa Raises the Sun) narrative strikes just the right balance between humor and feelings of loss in this captivating dog-loses-boy, dog-gets-boy tale. Her words together with the artwork's elaborate borders and delicately detailed drawings will waltz straight off the pages and into readers' hearts. Encore! Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4-7. No dogs are allowed at La School d'Excellence, but Bonaparte doesn't let that stop him from trying to see his boy, Jean Claude. Every day he tries a hilarious new scheme to get in. He masquerades as Jean Claude's mother, applies for student admission, and even serves as a lunch lady, hairnet and all. But he's foiled at every turn. Discouraged but determined, he returns as a janitor, and is on hand when the regents discover Jean Claude has run away. Then it's Bonaparte to the rescue, as he sets out, nose to the ground, to find his beloved Jean Claude. Halperin's highly detailed, realistic watercolor-and-pencil illustrations are wonderfully expressive and humorous, giving youngsters a glimpse of scenic Paris bridges, fountains, and sculptures. The full single- or double-page pictures are best; less successful are the small snapshotlike pictures, which sometimes make the spread seem cluttered. This humorous and heartwarming tale will engage youngsters, especially those who have a special bond with a pet of their own. Lauren Peterson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Dk Pub
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 078942617X
• ISBN 13: 9780789426178
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Halperin Wendy Anderson
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32