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one official day late (but it was made on the 21st!)

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Bark Park  – now in paperback

by Karen Gray Ruelle

Peachtree Publishers      2008/2013

978-1-56145-434-1

Age 2 to 6      32 pages

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“Welcome to Bark Park, where dogs of every shape, size, and personality romp and roam. Energetic rhymes are punctuated with cheerful collage illustrations in this bouncy, fast-paced frolic that is doggone fun!”

Opening

“Hound dog, round dog, on the run. Strolling, rolling, having fun.”

Review

Now in paperback, Bark Park is back for a new round of listening ears. Originally published in 2008, the bouncy text rhymes perfectly, making it a joy to read aloud. The simple text is perfect for younger kids. Bark Park, whether read quickly or slowly has a smooth flow and a singsong happy beat. Older kids, closer to age eight than four, will understand most of the words though some will be new.

“Hot dog, dot dog, in the park.

Fat dog, rat dog. Bark! Bark! Bark!”

The pages of Bark Park contain nearly every conceivable breed of dog, including a mutt. The dogs are spending part or their day at a dog park, chasing, playing, lazing, and just having fun. The illustrations show the dogs coming to the park, having their fun, returning home, and then readying for a night of restful sleep. Some illustrations run edge-to-edge while others are vignettes. All are in soft, hand-painted watercolors with a matte texture, which I love. Don’t get me wrong, the dogs are dogs. Crazy canines catching balls, racing down sticks, lapping up water, and if there is any, rolling in the mud. The art was originally part of an exhibit—The Dog Days of Summer—called a Pack of Dogs, and had 54 different dog cutouts in a small box.That was a high concentration of doggy-breathe!

Every page is loaded with dogs and, one little surprise at least once on every spread. You won’t find it in the old-fashioned bathtub, where three dogs clean up after playing in the park. You won’t find it while a grey dog makes a surprise pounce on top of a golden brown dog, jumping over a beautiful red tulip to catch his playmate. If you look hard enough, and look for something one does not usually think of when thinking of dogs, you just might find it. Young children and anyone who loves dogs will enjoy Bark Park; even a cat-person like myself enjoys all these dogs. Now, you can enjoy Bark Park in paperback at a new, lower price.

BARK PARK. Text and illustrations copyright © 2008 by Karen Grey Ruelle. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta, GA.

Buy Bark Park at Amazon—B&N—Book Depository—Peachtree Online—or at your local bookstore.

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Learn more about Bark Park HERE.

Meet the author / illustrator, Karen Grey Ruelle, at her website:   http://karenruelle.carbonmade.com/

Find more books at the Peachtree Publishers (blog) website:  http://peachtree-online.com/

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Also by Karen Grey Ruelle

The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Rescued Jews During the Holocaust

Mother’s Day Mess: A Harry & Emily Adventure

The Tree

The Monster in Harry’s Backyard: A Harry & Emily Adventure

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