  | Rocket Puppies Author: Joyce, William | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
In a world overcome by sadness, the arrival of Rocket Puppies from the outer reaches of Not-from-Here brings joy and laughter, but the puppies must face off against Snarly McBummerpants and stop him from spreading gloom with Mopey Smoke.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (09/01/24)
School Library Journal (+) (12/30/24)
Booklist (11/01/24)
The Hornbook (00/01/25)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 12/30/2024 Gr 1–3—Cuteness alert! In a tale that should probably come with a cautionary label, Joyce introduces a squad of button-eyed, space-traveling puppies exuberantly riding jet packs to the rescue, "ruff-ruff-ready to use their super Rocket Puppy powers," against arch-meanie Snarly McBummerpants—a multi-legged scowler in a tailcoat and very high trousers, who has so swathed the world in aggressive globs of Mopey Smoke that even the meatballs are sad of face and down in the dumps. But can even heart-melting "Puppy-Ray Vision," which is capable of instantly turning gloom to glee (and a pair of bullies bearing a strong resemblance to Abbott and Costello into florists) while driving the Mopey Smoke away, prevail against the glowering uber-grump? Time to call out the "big guns," meaning the tiniest puppy of all, little Brad, for a nose to nose, mite to monster, staring contest. Who will prevail? The pages are filled with clouds of giggles and glitter rainbows, with puppies rocketing around to a general chorus of "AWWWWWWWWWW!" Young audiences will certainly chime in. VERDICT A "fetching" tale from the reigning master of retro-themed whimsy.—John Edward Peters - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 11/01/2024 Snarly McBummerpants doesn’t like anything, and he wants everyone else to be as miserable as he is. His volcano puffs out smoke that spreads bad moods across the planet, and everyone seems destined to join Snarly in his endless unhappiness. Help arrives in the form of a dog house–shaped rocket ship containing the titular Rocket Puppies, who descend via hug-fueled jet packs to give everyone a much-needed dose of cheer. Everything is adorably affected: bees stop stinging, bullies become florists, and rain never falls at recess. Only Snarly McBummerpants is immune, so the dogs deploy their secret weapon, “tiny brad,” the teeniest puppy of them all. It’s a standoff, but tiny brad's final trick proves powerful enough to turn Snarly into a sweetie pie. The satisfying story is an absolute tonic, filled with enough joy to melt even the unhappiest hearts. The silly yet sophisticated illustrations have a dreamy retro quality that will delight both young readers and their grown-ups. Prescribe this puppy-packed picture book as an ideal antidote to a bad mood. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
