Publishers Weekly
With a heavy-handed swat at big money, egocentric candidates and rumor-mongering, Wells's election-year tale features puppies running for Barkadelphia School president. Unfortunately, stereotyped characters and an unsurprising plot weaken the story considerably. The popular female poodles support cheerleader Tiffany, and the jocks rally around Charles, the bulldog football team captain, while gentle Otto, unlike the competition, actually listens to the desires of a variety of pint-size voters. Wells does portray several standard dirty tricks using devices children can understand. Charles's and Tiffany's rich parents try to buy the election with free burgers and pancakes, and when Tiffany puts post-its on lockers impugning Charles's integrity, he retaliates by accusing her of spending class dues on hairspray. Meanwhile, goody-four-paws Otto asks fellow students what would make their school better-"A homework help line is what I need," says one. Wells's illustrations show occasional flashes of humor, but often the characters seem awkwardly or inconsistently drawn. It's no surprise when Otto wins the election and discovers it's harder than he thought to keep even simple campaign promises. Ages 4-8. (June)
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Children's Literature - Phyllis Kennemer
It is election time at Barkadelphia School and whoever collects fifty paw prints can run for president. The popular dogs gather around Tiffany proclaiming she is the cutest and the smartest. The sports fans cheer for Charles, the captain of all the teams. The parents of Tiffany and Charles get involved and the school walls are soon covered with banners and posters. Tiffany's mother persuades the cheerleaders to shout out cheers, while a glee club hired by Charles' dad sings a fight song. Then the smear campaigns begin. Did Charles cheat on the science test? Did Tiffany spend class dues on hair spray? In the meantime, Otto begins asking his classmates what they really want at the school. He gathers the required number of paw prints and bakes cookies with his friend Melanie. On election day, Charles hosts a Whoppo Burger pep rally. Tiffany's mother serves a pancake breakfast. Otto passes out his cookies. When the votes are counted, Otto wins. He sets about keeping his campaign promises, such as watermelon in the cafeteria and blankets for nap time in kindergarten. The colorful dog characters dress and act like humans. They stand out on white backgrounds, bordered with various items mentioned in the story. This book could be used effectively to stimulate discussions about the election process. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.
Children's Literature - Kristina Cassidy
The students at Barkadelphia School are electing a new school president. Popular poodle Tiffany and bulldog athlete Charles are running, but they do not seem to care what the students really want. Aided by their parents and friends, both promise to make the changes they want to see, like more meat in the cafeteria. Meanwhile, Otto decides to run for president and actually listen to the students' needs. His friend Melanie helps him campaign and bake cookies. The election outcome is never in doubt. Of course Otto wins because he is the best candidate, but the story continues as he follows through with his campaign promises. The dog characters are illustrated in a charming way and the author wisely steers clear of dog puns and other cutesy touches. This story would work well alongside a classroom unit about elections and government, or to introduce preschoolers to the electoral process. The accompanying CD includes three tracks: the story with page turn signals, lively narration and music—the same track without page turn signals—and an interview with Rosemary Wells about her motivation for writing this book. Reviewer: Kristina Cassidy
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1
For a while it looks as though Otto doesn't stand a chance in the three-way race for president of Barkadelphia School. Tiffany's a cute and popular poodle who promises "More Mirrors in the Girls' Room!" And the platform of athletic bulldog Charles includes "Skateboards in the Halls!" Otto takes a different approach, though, and asks his canine classmates for their ideas to improve the school, such as healthy cafeteria foods and a homework help line. While the other two ramp up their rivalry with mudslinging, self-promotion, and parent-funded events, Otto's strategy of listening to everyone, "even the kindergartners," results in victory. Wells's skillful drawings highlight a host of appealing characters who are doglike in appearance, but clearly human in their actions. Individuals have distinct personalities. Most pages are neatly framed by borders decorated with paw prints, ballots, and other images related to the story. The author pokes gentle fun at election excesses to contrast her positive message of community and inclusiveness. Tiffany attracts other female poodles and Charles's all-male supporters all come from the bigger dog breeds, while Otto's good-hearted campaign reaches both genders and all types of dog. The satisfying conclusion demonstrates how a school election can lead to worthwhile change and be fun at the same time.-Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR
Kirkus Reviews
A dark-horse candidate faces two big political machines in this election campaign at the all-canine Barkadelphia School. Backed by their parents, jock Charles the bulldog ("More Meat for Lunch") squares off against poodle Tiffany ("Vote Cute Vote Tif!") in a campaign that quickly turns ugly, with anonymous accusations of cheating on tests and spending class dues on hairspray flying back and forth. Meanwhile, beneath all the hoopla, Otto (a Jack Russell) quietly polls his schoolmates on what they actually want, taking notes and, with help from his friend Melanie, making yummy cookies. Unsurprisingly, Otto wins in a landslide and is last seen successfully fulfilling his voters' wishes, while his disappointed rivals are being primed for next year by their adult backers, and Melanie betrays a spendthrift liberal agenda: "Let's bake up more cookies," she proposes. "Enough for everyone!" Simplistic, but young readers will get the drift. Place this timely outing next to Mark Teague's LaRue For Mayor (2008) and Doreen Cronin's arch Duck For President (2004), illustrated by Betsy Lewin. (Picture book. 6-9)
