Mr. and Mrs. Portly and Their Little Dog, Snack

by Jordan, Christine Davenier (Illustrator)

Overview

When Mrs. Amanda Portly looks into Snack’s hopeful brown eyes, she just can’t resist bringing him home. For the next week the two are inseparable, and Snack even helps Mrs. Portly capture the true spirit of red dahlias in one of her paintings. Then Mr. Portly comes home from his fishing trip. Mr. Portly likes art and he likes beauty, but he does not like dogs—and Snack is banished to a doghouse outside. How can Snack win over Mr. Portly’s persnickety heart?

The surprising way Snack manages to prove that he is not only an art lover but man’s best friend as well is exuberantly illustrated by Christine Davenier.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374350895
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	09/01/2009
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

SANDRA JORDAN is the creator of two other picture books and the co-author, with Jan Greenberg, of several books for children about art and artists, including Chuck Close Up Close, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book. She lives in New York City. CHRISTINE DAVENIER has illustrated many picture books, including Nobody Here but Me by Judith Viorst and Me I Am! by Jack Prelutsky. She lives in Paris, France.

Editorial Reviews

“The witty . . . story line is well matched by the illustrations’ energy, flair, and ebullient use of color.” —School Library Journal

“Exuding warmth, both narrative and pictures transcend the basic plot line, turning this into an irresistible offering.” —Starred, Booklist

“Davenier’s lively watercolors . . . come alive with every brushstroke, allowing pup and people to walk off the page.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Ostensibly, this is a familiar story of a dog that works its way into the hearts of a couple by virtue of its innate cuteness and quirky heroism. But what Jordan (Action Jackson) has really written is a portrait of an idiosyncratic, childless marriage. Mrs. Portly, an amateur painter, impulsively adopts Snack at a farmer's market, trying not to think about “persnickety” Mr. Portly's reaction. Given what Mrs. Portly reveals in her anxious conversations with Snack, it doesn't look promising: “Don't bark before Mr. Portly wakes up,” Mrs. Portly tells Snack, as Davenier (Just Like a Baby) shows a worried look on both sides of the conversation. “Don't get hair on Mr. Portly's suits. And never, ever put so much as a paw in the living room.” The more the idyllic relationship between mistress and pet deepens, the more readers may suspect it might be better if Mr. Portly never returned from his fishing trip. Have no fear: the resolution is indeed happy for all concerned, and Davenier's customarily luminous watercolors keep the action from straying too far into Updike/Cheever territory. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1–3—Happily installed in his new home, Snack, an adorable puppy impulsively adopted by Mrs. Portly, is taught the household rules, keeps his mistress good company, and inspires her to new heights in her work as a painter. And upon his return home, persnickety Mr. Portly, an esthete, is suitably impressed with his wife's new artistic output, especially her capture of "the true spirit of red dahlias." But he also reacts predictably to Snack's licks, muddy paw prints, and newspaper chewing and banishes the dog to a doghouse. It's a serendipitous move: when a thief breaks into the Portlys' home, Snack scares him away and leads his owners to the bag of paintings hastily flung into the dahlia bed. His crime-busting earns him a move back indoors—and right into Mr. and Mrs. Portly's bed. Handsomely designed and illustrated, this title pairs stylish New Yorker-like watercolor and black line drawings with uncoated, vellum stock to convey a tangible feeling of sophistication and elegance. The witty, urbane story line is well matched by the illustrations' energy, flair, and ebullient use of color. This tale of a refined middle-aged couple coming to terms with the ruckus and love offered by an endearing puppy is sure to evoke knowing chuckles from adult dog lovers, but children may not relate to it.—Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT

School Library Journal

"Does Mr. Portly like dogs?" asks the cashier. "Well, Zander Portly can be quite persnickety, but I'm sure he will," says Mrs. Portly, "once he gets used to the idea." Thus begins the adventure of a five-dollar puppy named Snack, purchased by Mrs. Portly when her husband, an art collector, is away. But Mr. Portly is persnickety beyond measure and has rules about rules-especially about a small, sweet dog like Snack, who loves Mrs. P. and is loved back. Alas, his return almost spells the end of the relationship until the personable pup saves the day in a rather cliched ending: He chases a thief who has stolen a goodly number of paintings-and recovers them. The upscale couple seems very real, as does good dog Snack. A stronger story would have emerged with fewer words, because Davenier's lively watercolors carry and advance the narrative. They come alive with every brushstroke, allowing pup and people to walk off the page. Many wags and woofs for the art but fewer for the wordy text and predictable ending. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews