February 17, 2020
There’s a classic Onion headline, “Dog Experiences Best Day of His Life for 400th Consecutive Day.” One such dog is certainly Roy, a sturdy, uninhibited white pooch with black patches, pointy ears, and a gleam in his tiny eyes. Roy’s raison d’être is dirt: “Roy digs dirt.... Roy eats dirt, sniffs dirt, watches dirt, and listens to dirt,” writes Shannon (Mr. Nogginbody Gets a Hammer). The filthy hound dominates every page, wallowing in mud (“dirt gravy”), creeping through a deliciously loamy “jungle” (the garden), and defending his turf (“GET AWAY FROM MY DIRT!”). The book doesn’t hinge on any big plot point or obstacle—the biggest drama is the bath Roy has to have after encountering a skunk (baths, after all, “are the opposite of dirt”). But what this book offers is a real gift: the chance to spend time with an outsize personality whose happiness is pure, all encompassing, and seemingly without end—so long as the dirt holds out. Ages 3–5.
February 1, 2020
PreS-Gr 1-Roy is a little spotted dog. And he is a dog that digs dirt. He digs in it all day long. He loves to sit in dirt and roll in it. Dirt makes him happy and extremely dirty. Roy eats, sniffs, and even listens to it. He creates imaginary friends out of dirt and hunts for buried treasure in it. Roy really digs dirt. The only thing he doesn't like about dirt is getting clean-and ants! When there is no dirt around, there's usually trouble. Roy becomes mad and agitated. He tears the newspaper apart and rips the carpet. Then he scratches the door to get back to the dirt. Roy really cares about his dirt, too. He protects it against nighttime critters and dreams about it in his sleep. To Roy, there's nothing better than dirt. Shannon pens another zany, kid-friendly tale. Children will love the Roy's antics with his favorite thing...dirt. The text is simple and large, and the pictures do a good job telling the story. This is a light and breezy feel-good book that's perfect for storytime. VERDICT David Shannon fans-old and new-will enjoy this delightfully dirty book.-Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 15, 2019
Roy the dog seriously digs dirt. Who can blame him? Sitting, rolling around, and lying in dirt make him happy because dirt is so deliciously...well, dirty, and Roy loves being dirty. Eating, sniffing, watching, and listening to dirt are fantastic. Roy likes burying and unearthing cool, fun stuff in dirt, including some crawly critters and an imaginary friend, likewise named Roy. Surprisingly, there are things Roy doesn't dig about dirt, though: ants and mud. You see, rain makes mud, or "dirt gravy." Mud by itself is terrific; unfortunately, mud plus Roy equals very dreaded baths. Roy. Doesn't. Dig. Baths. What does Roy dig when there's no dirt around? Rugs, blankets, and newspapers suffice until he enters the jungle that is the backyard. Sadly, encounters with smelly trespassers could occur there, and--yep--baths might ensue! Still, all is well for Roy as he awakens each morning to a day filled with new dirty adventures. This is a rollicking story that will especially resonate with readers who are unapologetically messy. They'll revel in the delights of wallowing in grunge and may themselves sympathize with a bath-averse protagonist. Shannon's illustrations are comically energetic, and Roy's expressions are hilariously wild-eyed, tongue-lolling, and frenzied. Roy's white coat helps keep the focus on dirty patches. Here's the dirt on this one: Kids will dig it. (Picture book. 3-6)
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January 1, 2020
Grades K-2 Harry the Dirty Dog has nothing on Roy, who digs dirt and mud ( Mud is like dirt gravy ) with joyous, doggy abandon before breakfast, after lunch, and before and after dinner. Roy loves rolling around in dirt, exuberantly excavating treasures from dirt, playing with his imaginary dirt friend (also Roy), racing through the backyard jungle, dreaming about digging when asleep, tracking plenty of dirt indoors, and scrabbling away at rugs and newspapers until he can be released into the wild to seek out new dirt. A small terrier with a big personality, Roy races, tongue dangling, through Shannon's mucky close-ups, all bright eyes, muddy paws, and panting eagerness for new discoveries. Roy does not dig ants, nor baths?though the latter are sometimes necessary, particularly when the jungle's critters include a skunk?but as the whole world is built on top of dirt, overall, Roy digs the world. The world (except maybe anyone charged with getting him into the tub) will dig Roy, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)