Antoinette
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fun with pups in Paris as girl pooch saves the day.
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What's the Story?
In ANTOINETTE, each of Antoinette's bulldog brothers has a special trait that distinguishes them. One is clever, one is fast, and one is strong. But "unlike her burly brothers, she still hadn't quite discovered what she was good at." Her mom is confident she has something extra-special. When they go to the park and play with the poodle family, one of the poodle sisters, Ooh-La-La, chases a butterfly and goes missing. The bulldog brothers put their skills to use trying to find her, but Antoinette follows her nose, sniffing the scent trail to the Louvre, where Ooh-La-La has chased the butterfly to the edge of the wing of the famous statue the Winged Victory of Samothrace. While saving her friend from a bad fall, Antoinette discovers her own special skill, and she grows up to become a famous police dog: "Well done, Antoinette."
Is It Any Good?
This combo of cute, rambunctious pups and scenic, sophisticated Paris is a fun one, with messages about persistence, bravery, and discovering your strengths. Author Kelly DiPucchio imbues Antoinette with style, addressing readers directly. About the pups, she says, "Busy, aren't they? And ridiculously cute, but please don't tell them that." She even builds an instant replay into to the climactic scene -- "Would you like to see that again?" -- setting up a spread of close-ups of Antoinette's brave save.
Christian Robinson's art is always a pleasure, and here he has lots of fun using simple, blocky shapes to construct the cityscape. His Paris is diverse, peopled with folks of all races enjoying the cafés and crowding the Louvre. On one street, a woman in a head scarf drives past a female garbage collector. With cute pups for the kids, and Paris for the parents, this book is sure to please all.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the special traits each of the dogs has in Antoinette. Do you have something that you're good at? What is it?
Where do you think the book takes place? What are the clues in the art and the text?
Have you read the book Gaston? Why do Antoinette and Gaston look different from their brothers and sisters? What traits do their families have in common?
Book Details
- Author: Kelly DiPucchio
- Illustrator: Christian Robinson
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Atheneum
- Publication date: February 21, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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