Sunday, March 16, 2014

Minnie's Pet Salon by Ashley Mendoza -- OPTIONAL

Mendoza, Ashley and Bill Scollon Minnie's Pet Salon, illustrated by Loter, Inc. Disney Press, 2013. $3.99. Content: G.

Pluto wants to put on a pet show, but first he and his friends must get the pets ready. In order to do so, Minnie sets up her own pet salon. Along the way the friends encounter a few issues, which are easily solved by calling for Toodles and choosing from among the supplies he carries. When the pets are ready, however, the friends have the biggest dilemma of all: which pet should win the show? No problem. They ALL get to win!

This is an uninspired story which mainly seems designed for fans of the television show. Instead of relying on Toodles to simply fly over with a few tool options, as in the show itself, it would be helpful if the characters actually had to come up with their own solutions to the problems they encountered. Also, it's nice to have a feel-good ending, but 'everyone wins' feels like a copout. Despite this, the televion-to-book connection may draw in some readers. A note on the formatting: The large, clear font helps early readers, although many of the pages have black text on a dark background -- perhaps a result of the format adaptation? -- and the lack of contrast can be difficult on the eyes, especially in low light.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Caryn

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