Run Pups Run (Kerri Day, illus Nicky Johnston, Windy Hollow)

Kerri Day’s Run Pups Run is a lively and charming story of a family beach excursion. The day begins as a family and their three dogs head down to the beach, lugging their gear in a wagon. The words are simple but full of action as the family settles in, plays in the shallows, rolls in the sand, builds sandcastles, and eats ice cream. The book simply and joyfully depicts family scenes and the movement of the day as the group of five and their dogs moves up into the grass for kite flying, chasing games, and the inevitable grumpiness as a storm rolls in and the two dads pack up and head for home. While the text is simple, the story is full of movement, and the dreamy illustrations by Nicky Johnston bring the family to life in warm, sandy colours and beautifully rendered action sequences. The three dogs, in particular, are full of joy and have distinct personalities, while the scenery of the beach shifts and changes throughout. With a fun formula of rhyming text, this book captures the magic of the simple pleasures of an ordinary day at the beach, bringing to mind Alison Lester’s classic Magic Beach. For readers aged 2–6.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Fay Helfenbaum is a freelance writer and editor and was a bookseller for five years. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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Category: Reviews