Synopses & Reviews
What's a hound who misses his boy to do? Bonaparte is devastated. He is distraught. He is desolee. His boy, Jean Claude, has been sent away to La School d'Excellence. And the first rule of La School d'Excellence is NO DOGS ALLOWED. But Bonaparte is also determined- to see his beloved Jean Claude again. And so, on Monday morning, he marches up to the front door of the school. The registrar is firm: NO DOGS ALLOWED. Perhaps on Wednesday they'll believe he's a student; or, on Thursday, a drummer in the school band; or, on Friday, a lunch lady. Zut alors! His every attempt to see Jean Claude is thwarted. NO DOGS ALLOWED. Will Bonaparte finally make his way into La School d'Excellence? Mais oui...only to discover that Jean Claude, also desolee, is missing! Who better to sniff out the lost boy than his own beloved hound? Through the cafes and kiosks of Paris, across the wide boulevards, over farmers' cobbled walls, Bonaparte searches.... With magnificent drawings, full of details to discover with each new reading, Bonaparte is a cold-nosed, warm-hearted tale of liberte, egalite, and fraternite.
Review
Magnificent drawings, full of colorful details, take the reader through this splendid tale of a boy's love for his dog. (Petlife)
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A happy ending, the panache and joie de vivre of irresistible Bonaparte and the French setting make this story a delight. (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
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Halperin's detailed pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, dominated with pastel tones of pinks, lilacs, and blues, re-create the France of cafes and chateaus, of art galleries and carousels. (The Horn Book)
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The language in this well-told story stretches readers' imagination.... readers will pore over the details in the pictures, panel by panel. (School Library Journal)
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... everyone will applaud this Gallic tale of boy and dog separated, then reunited.... drawn with vanishingly fine, but clear lines and exquisitely controlled color, every tiny detail in the harmonious illustrations is distinct, waiting to be picked out by fascinated viewers. (Kirkus Reviews)
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Halperinís highly detailed, realistic water-color-and-pencil illustrations are wonderfully expressive and humorous, giving youngsters a glimpse of scenic ParisÖthis humorous and heartwarming tale will engage youngsters, especially those who have a special bond with a pet of their own. (Booklist)
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Charmingly toldÖbeautifully illustrated. (Children's Bookwatch)
Review
Fresh as a newly baked croissant, this delightful confection finds a lonely -pooch longing for his young master's warm lap and 'determined to find his boy' after Jean Claude is sent off to boarding school. Sadly, 'La School d'Excellence' has a strict policy: 'NO DOGS ALLOWED.' This doesn't deter Bonaparte, however, who sniffs out Jean Claude's trail Halperin's charming pencil and watercolor panel drawings chronicle the canine's route through the breathtaking streets of Paris, with its cafes, fountains and fruit stands (one heartbreaking vignette shows the furry fellow sleeping 'on a pillow of stone' at the foot of a statue), until he storms the school's gates. He arrives daily in a different disguise--as the boy's mother, he's twigged when he offers the registrar his dog licenses as I.D.; as a new drummer in the high school band, his tail (which wags 'in four-quarter time' gives his away. The day Bonaparte turns up as the new janitor, his canine talents are finally appreciated: Jean Claude is discovered missing and it's up to Bonaparte to track him down. Chall's narrative strikes just the right balance between humor and feelings of loss in this captivating dog-loses-boy, dog-gets-boy tale. Her words together with the artwork's elaborate borders and delicately detailed drawings will waltz straights off the pages and into readers' hearts. Encore! (Publishers Weekly, Starred Review)
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[A] charming picture book. (Detroit News/Free Press)
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A delightful book for anyone.... intricate, offbeat illustrations add to the charm of the tale. (Hartford Journal-Enquirer)
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Fabulously illustrated (Kansas City Star)
Synopsis
When a young French boy goes away to school, he and his dog are sad to be separated. What will best friends do to be together? Whatever they have to, and in the process they change the rules for everyone until the sign reads: NOW DOGS ALLOWED. Full-color illustrations. 7 3/4.
About the Author
Martha Wilson Chall has written several books for children, including Rupa Raises the Sun, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger and published by DK Ink. Other works include Sugarbush Spring, Up North at the Cabin, and Mattie. She lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with her family and frequent canine visitor, Hank. Wendy Anderson Halperin has illustrated many books for children including Sophie and Rose, by Kathryn Lasky; Homeplace, by Anne Shelby; Hunting the White Cow, by Tres Seymour; and, most recently, The Full Belly Bowl by Jim Aylesworth, and Once Upon a Company, which Ms. Halperin also wrote. Ms. Halperin lives in Interlochen, Michigan, with her family.