From Publishers Weekly
Despite the catchy canine title, Numeroff and Mathieu's picture book is not about Man's Best Friends. Rather, the author and illustrator work together to pull off what could be the antithesis of a nonsense rhyme--a verse that derives its kid-appeal by its apparent sensibleness. But as the text intones various truths ("Dogs don't wear sneakers / And pigs don't wear hats / And dresses look silly / On Siamese cats), the illustrations serve up irreverent contradictions: a pack of well-shod pooches prances its way through a "Dog Days Marathon"; the aforesaid pigs and cats don lavish costumes for a production of "The Pigs of Penzance." One particularly frolicsome scene ("Fish don't eat bagels") shows a pair of hatted fish perched on stools at an underwater diner, one in the process of "schmearing" his bagel. Mathieu's exuberant art sets off Numeroff's neatly veiled silliness. Good goofy fun. Ages 3-6. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K-A jaunty, rhymed text provides a litany of unlikely scenarios- sheep in the shower, hens in the swimming pool-some of which work better than others. It's Mathieu's wacky and inventive illustrations that really carry the show. His expressive animals lift weights, dangle off diving boards, and cavort in a variety of crazy outfits. Kids will enjoy the silliness, even if the book isn't as much fun as John Cameron's If Mice Could Fly (Atheneum, 1979; o.p.). Teachers will appreciate the final page, which invites readers to "tell me what you see," making the title a spirited springboard for creative activities. Useful, but not especially memorable. Lori A. Janick, Parkwood Elementary School, Pasadena, TXCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
``...And pigs don't wear hats/And dresses look silly/On Siamese cats,'' begins this cheerful litany, by the author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1985), of ridiculous impossibilities- -the last few seen from a different perspective after Numeroff suggests, ``Now just close your eyes/And draw with your mind...tell me what you see? It's your dream--not mine!'' Using soft pencil and watercolor against a white ground that dramatizes the lively activity, Mathieu, a frequent illustrator of Sesame Street books, visualizes such unlikely scenes as skunks on scooters, a skiing yak taking a header, or gnus building a ``gnu'' house in a spirited, comical style that's sure to appeal to the preschool crowd as much as the deliciously silly text does. (Picture book. 4-7) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
Dogs don't wear sneakers; And pigs don't wear hats And dresses look silly On Siamese cats. So goes Laura Numeroff's lively laugh-along text that explores the many ways in which you and I differ from our furred, feathered and finny friends. Joe Mathieu's hilarious illustrations bring all the unlikely creatures to life in this book that challenges the reader to dream up more characters for this delightful menagerie.


Card catalog description
In a child's imagination, animals do wacky things, including ducks riding bikes, yaks skiing, and fish eating bagels.


About the Author
Laura Numeroff worked as a dog walker at 11, ran a merry-go-round at 17, and then began creating children's books. She has a dozen to her credit, nine of them as both author and illustrator. She is perhaps best known as the author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Moose a Muffin. She makes her home in Los Angeles, California.

ANNOTATION

In a child's imagination, animals do wacky things, including ducks riding bikes, yaks skiing, and fish eating bagels.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Animals would look pretty silly doing a lot of the things people do all the time. The unlikely combinations in Laura Numeroff's cheerful rhymes and Joe Mathieu's bright, zany pictures will make you laugh out loud. What sort of crazy creatures can you dream up?

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

"Mathieu's exuberant art sets off Numeroff's neatly veiled silliness" in this "antithesis of a nonsense rhymea verse that derives its kid-appeal by its apparent sensibleness," said PW. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)

School Library Journal