Carl's Afternoon in the Park

by Alexandra Day, Alexandra Day (Illustrator)

Overview

Carl, the baby, and a new puppy spend an eventful afternoon in the park, riding on a carousel, romping in the flowers, and visiting a children's zoo.

The Carl board books are sure to be baby's best friends!

Titles in this series:
Carl Goes Shopping
Carl's Christmas
Carl's Afternoon in the Park
Carl's Masquerade
Carl Goes to Daycare
Carl's Birthday

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374311049
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	10/01/1992
Series:	Good Dog Carl Series
Pages:	36
Sales rank:	195,739
Product dimensions:	4.75(w) x 5.85(h) x 0.75(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Alexandra Day is the author and illustrator of Good Dog, Carl and the rest of the beloved Carl books, including Carl Goes Shopping, Carl's Christmas, Carl's Birthday and Carl's Snowy Afternoon. The Darlings' own dog, a Rottweiler named Toby, was the original model for the main character of Good Dog, Carl. Since then, two other Darling Rottweilers have posed as Carl in the sequels: the late Arambarri, who was named for one of the Darlings' favorite jai alai players; and Zabala, who currently moonlights as an Our Best Friend therapy dog, visiting hospitals to cheer patients.

Editorial Reviews

Move over, Mary Poppins, and make room for Carl...Beguiling.” —Publishers Weekly

“Day's humor and sense of adventure richly color this winning Carl episode.” —Booklist

“Carl is the babysitter every family needs.” —Parents Magazine

From the Publisher

Move over, Mary Poppins, and make room for Carl, the ravishing rottweiler cum babysitter who makes his fourth and perhaps finest appearance yet in this gorgeously colored picture book. As with the other Carl books, these adventures are virtually wordless. When a mother meets a friend in the park, she leaves Carl in charge of her baby and the newest addition to the series, a rottweiler puppy. Carl fans know what happens next: the baby scrambles aboard Carl's back and the romp begins. Here, however, the illustrations are more dynamic and the goings-on even more beguiling than in previous outings, making wonderful use of the park setting. Carl poses like a pony on the merry-go-round; the trio rides a tiny train into a children's zoo, where the puppy incurs a ewe's maternal wrath; while the puppy wreaks more havoc, Carl and the baby model for afternoon painters, each of whom styles his canvas after a famous artist. There's lagniappe too, for gifted puzzle enthusiasts--about 20 pictures of dogs have been hidden in the illustrations. And for the softhearted, a portion of the proceeds benefits the American Humane Association. All ages. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 1-- America's most endearing Rottweiler is left in the park by his mistress to mind not only the baby but also a friend's frisky puppy. Fans of Good Dog, Carl (Green Tiger Pr., 1985), Carl Goes Shopping (1989), and Carl's Christmas (1990, both Farrar) will not be surprised to learn that he rises to the occasion. The baby seems a tiny bit older in this book and expectantly clambers onto Carl's back the moment the adults disappear. The venturesome trio embarks on a series of merry capers: a romp in a flower bed, a splash with a hose, a ride on a merry-go-round (with Carl as the ``horse''), and so on. In one of the funnier scenes, Carl and the baby pose for a painting class and are rendered cubistically, abstractly, and impressionistically by the students. As always, Carl returns his charges safely to their point of origin--just in time to receive his unsuspecting mistress's commendation. In her familiar realistic, painterly style, Day is a master of sweet but not cloying illustration. Her colors are bright and clear; her animals and children expressive and appealing. The flow of the episodic events may seem slightly truncated in spots (e.g., the puppy, lifted aloft by a balloon, is grasped by the baby but the next plate shows both baby and puppy having an ice-cream cone). It's a minor quibble. The fact that no responsible adult would ever leave a baby unattended in a public park today and that, after three books, the concept is not as original and fresh, will matter little to the followers of Day's wordless fantasies. --Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT

School Library Journal