Charlies Checklist

Placing a want ad for a new owner, Charlie, an industrious country dog, discovers that his list of requirements has grown longer and longer, until only one little boy is able to fit the bill.

PreSchool-Grade 2. Charlie is a puppy who was born on a farm but longs for city life. After he advertises in the newspaper for an owner, he is flooded with letters. Together with Chester, the boy from the next farm, he considers the offers. Because the pooch has strict criteria, he rejects many applicants, spending his free time playing with Chester and dreaming of city life. Finally, the perfect letter arrives, and Charlie is ecstatic about going?until he realizes he must leave Chester. Of course, readers have already realized that the dog is overlooking the best possible friend?Chester?and that's part of the story's fun. The bright, childlike illustrations and vibrant colors add to the read-aloud potential. Charlie is a black-and-white bundle of energy that any child would cherish as a playmate.?Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A British import with real heart when it comes to a budding relationship between a child and a dog. Charlie is the last puppy remaining from a farm litter and he needs a home. He's also a rather professional, '90s sort of talking puppy who, with the help of Chester, a young boy from a neighboring house, develops a personal ad seeking a ``suitably enthusiastic owner . . . under twelve.'' With Chester's aid, he also develops a checklist of criteria against which he can evaluate the mountains of letters (complete with photos) from hopeful applicants. Charlie's first checklist include ``must have room for me'' and ``must provide me with a stable home,'' but as he grows closer to making a choice and leaving Chester, his checklist changes. Now he adds very specific needs, e.g., ``must be four feet three inches tall,'' and ``must have five freckles on each cheek.'' Not surprisingly, Chester meets all the criteria for the perfect owner. Bartlett's childlike, expressive swashes of color are the perfect match for this affection-filled story that is savvy and old-fashioned in the same stroke. (Picture book. 5-9) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 4-7. Although he was born in the countryside, Charlie has his heart set on living in a big city. When he submits a personal ad to a London newspaper, readers will see that Charlie isn't the freckle-faced boy in the opening composition. That's Chester. Charlie is a six-week-old puppy. When he finally gets a response from the ideal candidate, Charlie can't understand why Chester looks so forlorn. Then he realizes that Chester meets all his criteria for a new owner: "Must have room for me. Must be kind to animals. Must provide me with a stable home." Bartlett's deceptively simple acrylic paintings have bold forms, vibrant colors, and robust brushstrokes. The simply written text is also clever: Charlie uses a trampoline to reach the top of his huge pile of letters, and he and Chester sometimes spend all night playing cards on top of the barn. Awfully nice. Julie Corsaro