Olive & Pekoe: In Four Short Walks

Davis (the Ladybug Girl series) and Potter (Independence Cake) celebrate a canine pair’s differences through four stories in this quiet picture book. Pekoe is a lolloping pup with boundless energy; Olive, Pekoe’s elderly dog friend, plods along behind him. The two walk a familiar path in the woods (“Pekoe adores playing with sticks... Olive prefers resting in the mud and grass”), get caught in a storm, meet a chipmunk (“Olive is not impressed.... Pekoe can’t believe how great it is that the world has chipmunks in it!”), and confront a mean bully at the dog park. In her characteristic paint-and-colored-pencil style, Potter pairs Pekoe’s frenetic leaps with Olive’s sedate poise, showing the two against the vibrant greens and chestnuts of woods, a yard, and a park. Pekoe’s youthful enthusiasm (“Pekoe cannot wait to meet another chipmunk”) and Olive’s hard-won wisdom (“Olive knows that there are many more chipmunks in the forest”) are equally beguiling. Despite their differences, they are loyal friends, focused on what’s most important: “It’s time for a snack!” The tales make for calming bedtime readalouds, all with the same peaceable message: dogs (and people) are who they are, no apologies necessary. Ages 4–8. [em](Mar.) [/em]