Description:
You can't keep a good pup down--at least not down off the counter, or away from the storage closet, or out of trouble in general. Alexandra Day takes off on another scamper with her cute rottweiler pup in Puppy Trouble, a pop-up tear through an about-to-be-very-disheveled home. Just as in past outings (like Good Dog, Carl and Carl Goes Shopping), this rascally dog means well--he's just, well, a puppy. Kids will especially enjoy this Carl adventure for its copious push-and-pull-tab action, on six different spreads, from the living room to the bathroom to the kitchen. Many of the scenes are conventional pop-up tableaus: Carl popping out of his pet carrier, tugging on a tablecloth, and jumping off a counter. But a few show some genuine ingenuity, like a spiraling roll of toilet paper (as if he needs help from the cat), a rear-end-activated TV remote, and a convincing imitation of a Felix clock. Day's sweet renderings and muted, traditional setting maintain Carl's mysterious but undeniable appeal, and the short lines of text ("Let go of kitty's pillow!"; "Better not pull that!") provide wee ones with an excellent chance for building vocabulary. (Baby to preschool) --Paul Hughes
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