April 23rd, 2018
In ‘Isosceles’ Day’ Young Readers Share a Day in the Life of a Happily Rescued Dog
Title: Isosceles’ Day
Author: Kevin J. Meehan
Reviewed for the NABBW by: Anne L. Holmes
What a fun book, both for young readers – and those who enjoy hearing someone read them a story! Author Kevin J. Meehan, whose “day job” is as an integrative health care practitioner with expertise in acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, lives his life according to a favorite quote: “With the eyes of a child, we learn how to see!” He has clearly used this philosophy when writing and illustrating his book.
Each page of text which details a day in the life of his dog Isosceles, is paired with a gorgeous illustration of said dog, who appears to be a lovable Black Labrador. (But since Isosceles is a rescue dog, his heritage is not important to the story…)More importantly, readers and their friends are given a gorgeous treat: the opportunity to share in Isosceles’ highly entertaining day, which he spends with his friends, who include a mole, a moose and a mouse. (But wait, there’s also a goose, a frog, a prairie dog, and more…) It’s clearly a dog’s day as observed through the eyes of a child.
My favorite illustration is the one showing us what happens when Isosceles’ mouse friend turns an old-fashioned oscillating table fan directly on Isosceles, causing his lips to flap. What kid wouldn’t enjoy a similar experience? It totally reminds me of what used to happen decades ago, when my (then very young) kids would put their faces in the way of those high speed hand dryers sometimes found in restaurants and gas stations. (You know, the ones with names like Xlerator?)
The story’s clear and simple words attempt the rhythm of poetry, but a perfect and repetitive rhyme scheme is not book’s the main focus. Instead, the joy of these words is that they’re simple enough for a preschooler to understand, and for a primary student to successfully tackle as a read aloud venture. Ands what kid wouldn’t enjoy the story of a day in the life of a cute dog who enjoys eating healthy food – like eggs, peas and apples – and playing with a wide variety of friends?
This is one of those books where as you read, you must stop to fully involve yourself in the illustration paired with each page. There is so much happening in each picture!
The roughly 25-page picture book is nicely priced, and as it’s available in three formats, easily available to everyone. A great gift for grandchildren, in our opinion.
