Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2012 July #1 With realistically drawn hair and a Linus-shaped head, this titular dog is downright adorable, even when he is up to no good. Hutchins' modus operandi is evident right away as the pup uncovers a bone and brings it inside: "dig up / drag up / muddy up / mess up / chew up." But after the abashed pooch gets penned up, we switch to the human tasks that follow: "now wipe up / gather up / wash up / hang up." Of course, the pup is let out of his pen, scrubbed up, and snuggled, making this an irresistibly happy board book with a repetition that encourages participation. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2012 July #1 Though he earns a stint in the doghouse, this little dog is one endearing pet. A pup nudges the door open and digs up his owner's yard, then brings the mess of the outdoors (and his cherished bone) into the house. Active, two-word phrases, feature the word "up" in each statement to convey the dog's adventures and the consequences: "dig up / drag up / muddy up…" A few expressions may stretch the audience; "clip up" portrays the downtrodden dog on a leash (the muddy evidence of his outdoor romp streaked through his fur). The next sequence depicts the owner's actions when he cleans the mess. "Now wipe up / gather up / wash up / hang up / fill up" precedes the dog's "perk[ing] up." Fanny depicts the loving (though exasperated) owner as, mostly, disembodied hands, ensuring that the perspective remains the dog's. The dog's expressive eyes and slight shifts in his physical appearance light up his scenes. Companion Up Cat briefly reintroduces the dog; he attempts to make friends with a haughty feline, though she "puff[s] up" at the offer. This little pooch's up-and-down antics charm. (Board book. 18 mos.-3) Copyright Kirkus 2012 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.
Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2012 April #3
Hutchins creates basic phrases by pairing present-tense verbs with the word "up" to describe a splotchy dog's activities. When the dog "dig up" a bone and proceeds to "muddy up" the house, the dog's owner (whose face is never shown) has to "pen up" the pup. The owner's clean-up efforts take over several spreads, and before long, the dog is back to its old tricks. A warm portrait of the special (and often messy) relationship between dog and person. Also available: Up Cat. Ages 1â4. (May)
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