Different Drummer Dogs: Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio

MRS. POODLE ADMIRED HER NEW PUPPIES--FIFI, FOO-FOO, OOH-LA-LA, AND... GASTON.

A doting mama, Mrs. Poodle thinks her four pups are perfect. And being a good mother, she begins to teach them to behave as proper poodles do.

Fifi, Foo-Foo, and Ooh-La-La are perfect little fluffy teacup poodles, cute and diminutive, and they take to dainty ways like ducks to water.

"SIP, NEVER SLOBBER! YIP, NEVER YAP!"

But Gaston doesn't do dainty with ease. If his sisters are petite teacup pooches, he's more like the teapot.

Mrs. Poodle loves all her pups, and gently she praises Gaston for trying so hard to emulate his refined sisters, even if he is, well, rather big-boned for the breed. And Gaston tries his best to fit in with his super-civilized siblings. Mama Poodle is satisfied and proudly takes her litter out to the park to show off their good manners and elegant carriage.

But there she meets another new mother, Mrs. Bulldog and her four youngsters. Three of them are properly brawny and brash, tumbling and wrestling, and, it must be said, slobbering quite a bit in the process. The fourth pup sits sedately and demurely and frankly looks exactly like Fifi, Foo-Foo, and Ooh-La La.

Obviously, there has been some mixup in the canine nursery. Gaston is clearly like Mrs. Bulldog's three, and her Antoinette is obviously a dead ringer for Fifi, Foo-Foo, and Ooh-La-La. It seems that a a puppy exchange is in order, so Gaston goes home with Mrs. Bulldog and Antoinette leaves with Mrs. Poodle. Now everything is in order.

Or is it?

Nature or nurture? Nurture seems to be winning out here. Gaston can't help yipping politely, and eschews joining his brothers in being "brutish or brawny or BROWN!" Meanwhile, Antoinette is a little bored and put off with being "proper, precious, and PINK!" None of poodle girls will tussle with her. The two are just not quite a good fit with their look-alike siblings, despite the obvious family resemblance.

Luckily, Mrs. Poodle and Mrs. Bulldog are empathetic mothers, and seeing that Gaston and Antoinette have acquired different styles from their original families, arrange to a second swap for the misplaced pooches. But time spent in the two families has given Antoinette and Gaston a broader view of how the other half lives, and when they grow up and marry, they have the perfect precious and brawny, pink AND brown pups who fit right in with both families.

Kelly DiPucchio's brand-new Gaston (Atheneum Books, 2014) is a delightful doggy tale of finding the perfect blendship of family styles. Her narrative is crisp and wry, and artist Christian Robinson follows through with classy illustrations done up in an apt blend of style and media that echoes the premise of DiPucchio's story.  This gentle theme offers a lot of insight into what makes us what we are while dishing up a delightful mix of appealing pooches that kids, especially those who are a bit different from their siblings, will laugh over and love.

Pony Dreams: Galoop-a-Doodle by Audra Coldiron

IRIE WAS HAPPIEST PLAYING WITH HER HORSES.

SHE HAD PLASTIC HORSES, WOODEN HORSES, GLASS HORSES, STUFFED HORSES, ROCKING HORSES, PILLOW HORSES, AND EVEN BOUNCY HORSES.

THE ONLY KIND SHE DIDN'T HAVE WAS A REAL HORSE.

And, of course, a real horse is what Irie really wants, a horse she can brush and feed and ride, holding to its mane.

When Dad points out that they have no place for a horse to sleep, Irie offers her own bed. Mom counters with a ride on the carousel horse at the boardwalk, and points out that she will get to ride one of Grandma's horses when she goes to visit. But Irie wants to ride now. She tries riding their big dog, White Dog. She tries riding their goat. Dad offers piggyback rides. It's not the same.

During an afternoon nap, she dreams she is riding as fast as the wind on a beautiful white horse named Galoop-a-Doodle. Irie remembers how things that Harold drew with his purple crayon became real, and she picks up her own purple crayon and fills her bedroom walls with pictures of horses. But they are not REAL.

Then Irie's curious ears hears her Dad saying something really interesting on the phone to Grandma:

"WELL... I GUESS WE COULD USE THAT SHED I JUST CLEANED OUT."

And then, when she comes home from an outing with Mom, she sees something inside their fence. It is bigger than a big dog and it has a long tail.

But when she dashes over the fence for a closer look, she sees that this horse is not exactly like the Galoop-a-Doodle of her dreams. He doesn't have a blue stripe in his glorious tail or a full and flowing mane. He is small and he doesn't look as if he has ever galloped as fast as the wind.

But he is really really really a horse, and Irie can climb right onto his back and hug him. He's her Galoop-a-Doodle and he will do!

Audra Coldiron's Galoop-a-Doodle: A story about a little girl who really really REALLY wanted a real horse. (Karma Gardens Books, 2013) tells the true story of Irie, who imagines a gallant white steed and finds that a small mini pony is really the horse of her dreams. There is humor and hope in Irie's magical thinking about her dream horse, as well as the joy of the three rescue mini-horses that she can really really really ride, shown in Coldiron's color photo of Irie mounted upon one of her minis. Galoop-a-Doodle's story is actual one, the story of one of the fortunate rescue horses who really really really find a home, and there are a lot of Galoop-a-Doodles everywhere, just waiting to find their Irie.

It's a Dog's Life: It's Duffy Time by Audrey and Don Wood

DUFFY CAN'T RESIST TAKING A QUICK MID-DAY NAP IN HIS COMFY CHAIR.

THE MID-DAY NAP GOES SO WELL, DUFFY SLEEPS STRAIGHT THROUGH AND INTO HIS EARLY AFTERNOON NAP

A LONG NAP MAKES FOR THE BEST DREAMS.

Duffy's house might as well be named the napping house. Duffy, a little pug with personality plus, sleeps late in the morning, takes a post-breakfast snooze, and blends his three afternoon naps into one long dream session.

Duffy's idyllic life is one long nap, punctuated by breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. He does go out with Mom, wearing his pirate costume, for a few errands and a bit of airing of his little floppy ears out the car window. But the high point of his day is when his best friend comes home from school, and Duffy gives playtime with her his all, working up a good appetite for whatever smells so good in the kitchen.

Supper's not ready yet? No problem. Duffy steals a snippet of shuteye with his head pillowed on the side of his bowl "in a place where no one could forget to feed him."

After a strenuous walk with the family in the park, Duffy is disappointed. He finds his cozy chair occupied by Dad and his newspaper, but the adaptable Duffy squirms up to take a post-prandial nap in his lap.

But, OH, NO! What time is it? Bedtime already? But Duffy's not one bit sleepy!

Audrey and Don Wood's brand-new picture book, It's Duffy Time! (Blue Sky Press, 2012) shows off their doggone good artistic abilities with a little pooch protagonist who is a cute as as pug's ear. Duffy doesn't compare with the incomparable Carl for far-fetched adventures, but nobody passes the time in dreamland like this big-eyed guy who can even make sleeping look like fun. And as an extra bonus, the illustrators provide a clock in view on (almost) every page so young readers can tell the time as Duffy passes his in snoresville. Duffy is one sweet little hero with all kinds of doggy charm, awake or asleep.

Don and Audrey Wood are the Caldecott-winning co-creators of a string of picture book best sellers, including King Bidgood's in the Bathtub (Caldecott Honor Book), The Napping House, Piggy Pie Po, and Heckedy Peg. (A Voyager/Hbj Book)

Hoops with Alex: Fancy Nancy and the Sensational Babysitter by Jane O'Connor

TONIGHT OUR PARENTS ARE GOING TO THE MOVIES.

A NEW BABYSITTER IS COMING.

HER NAME IS ALEX AND SHE IS A TEENAGER.

I AM VERY EXCITED.

Nancy is hoping her little sister falls asleep very early so she can have Alex all to herself. Her agenda (an agenda is like a list, only fancier) calls for Alex to play dress up and dolls and then look through fashion magazines with her and choose the best ensembles (that's fancy for outfit). Then Alex arrives, and Nancy finds out that the best-laid lists often go amiss!

I AM STUPIFIED.

A TEENAGER IS IN OUR LIVING ROOM--A BOY TEENAGER.

"WHERE IS ALEX?" I ASK. "I'M ALEX," HE SAYS.

OH, NO! THIS IS PRACTICALLY A BABYSITTING TRAGEDY.

Nancy leaves the disappointing babysitter to play blocks and read bedtime stories to her little sister. She knows it's not Alex's fault that he is a boy, but admits to feeling a little melancholy (which is fancy for sad) as she reads to her doll Marabelle quietly in her room.

Then Alex appears at the door. Her little sister is asleep, and Alex has an idea for her. Would she like to learn to juggle? "Oui, Oui, Oui!" She would.

Nancy doesn't do so well with juggling, that is, unless she sticks to just one ball. But then she has an idea for Alex. Nancy pulls out her hula hoop and gives the eager but unskilled Alex a few pointers.

I DEMONSTRATE HOW TO HULA.

NOT TO BRAG, BUT I CAN HULA HOOP FOR SOOO LONG.

Then the thirsty hoopsters nibble teacakes and drink lemonade from Nancy's dainty teacups, pinky properly up in the fancy way.

Alex is awesome!

Jane O'Conner's recent Fancy Nancy and the Sensational Babysitter (HarperFestival, 2010) shows that Nancy Clancy is still the hostess with the mostess, even when her guest list turns out not exactly as expected. Aleksey and Olga Ivanov pinch hit for illustrator Robin Preiss Glassner amiably in this appealing (and inexpensive) little bedtime tale that will help youngsters lose those babysitter blues.