Sherry Tinerella (Catholic Library World, December 2010 (Vol. 81, No. 2))
Here is a new picture book from the author of Up North at the Cabin. This basic counting book is not to be missed. The understated yet adorable puppies take the reader from one to ten and back down again. The rhyme scheme and alliterations make this a fast-paced and fun readaloud. The numbers are displayed prominently with only one or two per page. Cole’s (Katy Duck, And Tango Makes Three) illustrations are fresh and simple yet expressive. The puppies are painted black, white, tan, or some combination thereof with neutral backgrounds. Toddlers and adults alike will chuckle at the familiar mishaps of these puppies. All will be ready for bed as the puppies wind down for sleep until…one pup’s up. This picture book is a wonderful addition to any collection for children from birth through four years old. 2010, Margaret K. McElderry, 32pp., $16.95. Ages 0 to 4.

Della A. Yannuzzi (Children's Literature)
All the pups in a litter of ten are sleeping except for one pup that’s up in this easy reader picture book about numbers. Soon after, two pups get up and tumble about, followed by three more that roll and play. Then four pups are up, drinking water, followed by five, six, seven, and then eight running pups chasing after a ball. Finally all ten pups are awake and shown playing on a two-page spread. The rhyming text and adorable and different colored pups doing what pups do will delight young children. In addition, parents will enjoy the educational aspect of helping their children learn the numbers one to ten. The book continues on after the ten pups have shared five bowls of food, two to a bowl, but still want more food from their owner. The author and illustrator then begin a clever reverse countdown of pups from ten pups nudging for more food to nine, then eight pups begging for more yummy puppy kibble, to seven, six, and five, when Mom finally comes to clean them. Four pups nuzzle and three rest while two curl in a puppy nuzzle nest. Finally the last or first pup falls asleep, but not for long because he soon awakes and the reader is back to the beginning of the book: one pup’s up….The numbers and text are large and in black against background colors of light blue and white which make them pop. Although there are many good number picture books available, Chall has written a book that will attract a readership of preschool children, early readers, parents, and teachers. 2010, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, $16.99. Ages 2 to 6.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2010 (Vol. 78, No. 10))
When one pup wakes up, the rest are sure to follow. "2 puppies tumble. / 3 puppies roll / in a fuzzy puppy jumble," and on up to ten. After a meal "in the Line-'em-up CafT," the countdown begins till "[t]he last pup sags. / All the puppies sleep. / No pups awake / in the furry puppy heap." Cole's watercolor-and-ink cartoons present a cheerfully motley assemblage of floppy-eared, short-legged, chubby-bellied puppies in a mix of solids and spots. They run, wrestle and munch with an abandon dog lovers will recognize and appreciate. Chall's text romps as energetically as this mixed-breed litter, with a rhythm and verve that practically reads itself. It's sure to be a read-aloud hit, and the author has considerately provided a natural resting place in the verse to give audiences time to crack up over "6 puppies piddle in the middle of the muddle" (the illustration shows the puppies sniffing a fire hydrant with interest). Almost as much fun as a real puppy, with none of the mess. 2010, McElderry, 32p, $16.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 2 to 6. © 2010 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly)
Equally peppy words and pictures introduce an active litter of 10 puppies. As this counting tale opens, most snuggle with their mother, fast asleep, but "1 pup's up," and its siblings soon awaken and spring into action. The cadence of Chall's (Prairie Train) verse is as playful as the pups, as is her choice of alliterative, tongue-tripping words: "4 pups drink./ 5 puppies huddle./ 6 puppies piddle in the middle of the muddle." Cole's (Big Chickens Fly the Coop) soft watercolor and ink pictures transmit an array of recognizable puppy emotions, from their curiosity about the world around them to their mournful eyes as they "nudge" their owner for dinner. After they devour their meal, a countdown to bedtime begins ("4 pups nuzzle./ 3 puppies rest./ 2 puppies curl in a puppy muzzle nest"). The story loops full circle as the exhausted pooches sleep... until one wakes up. With its lively tone and large-scale art that, thanks to ample white space, focuses exclusively on the dogs, this is a winning choice for reading aloud at story hour or lap time. Ages 1–4. (June)\n

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July/August 2010 (Vol. 63, No. 11))
This canine counting book features a litter of ten puppies, who cumulatively and rhymingly get up to various puppy pastimes (“2 puppies tumble/ 3 puppies roll/ in a fuzzy puppy jumble”) as their day progresses. Come the full ten, and it’s time for dinner, and then counting back down until the end of day when “all the puppies sleep”—and then one pup’s up again. The plethora of playful alliteration makes the text a tad tongue-twisting at times, in a most enjoyable way, and there’s considerable readaloud pleasure to be mined from the endearing chronicle of the pups’ activities. Cole’s art is solidly cartoony, the watercolors sometimes textured with colored pencil strokes, and the puppies are modestly differentiated for additional viewing pleasure. The visual interpretation of the text is disappointingly unreliable, though—the puppies often simply aren’t doing what the words describe (a particular betrayal to the kids gigglingly eager to see “6 puppies piddle”), and even when the activity is clearly visible, it’s not involving the number of puppies the text claims, since not all of the assembled are engaging in it; the shift from count up to count down isn’t effectively conceptually hinged, either. Serious puppyphiles may not care, though—they’ll be happy just to follow their cuddly favorite through the rollicking enumerations Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2010, McElderry, 26p., $16.99. Ages 2-4 yrs.

Amanda Cochran (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 23, No. 3))
If you are looking for a nice basic counting and number recognition book, than you can’t go wrong with this book. The reader can count up from one to ten and then back down to one. The numbers are in nice bold text for easy learning and identification. The text is written in an entertaining rhyme, “2 puppies tumble. 3 puppies roll in a fuzzy puppy jumble.” This would be a great book to read in any classroom because it focuses on many different elements of early learning. My two year old really enjoyed counting the puppies on each page. We even talked about the colors of the puppies and colors of the food bowls. The illustrator, Henry Cole, used a wide array of color that enhances each page. This will be a great book to put in a reading center at school; students can pick it up and start learning. I would recommend this book to any early childhood classroom and for those that love puppies. Fiction. Grades Preschool-K. 2010, McElderry Books, Unpaged., $16.99. Ages 2 to 6.