When Lucy Goes Out Walking: A Puppy's First Year Book

Meet Lucy, a little puppy full of bounce and curiosity. Lucy loves taking walks; it’s especially fun to greet the neighborhood children and play with other dogs. Whether it’s to race down a snowy hill in February or frolic in the grass in May, Lucy never says no to a stroll outdoors. Come December, Lucy’s enjoyed every season, and she’s almost all grown up!

In lyrical language and through endearing illustrations, Ashley Wolff traces the growth of one adorable puppy over the course of an adventure filled year.

Children's Literature

Young listeners will enjoy watching Lucy grow from a little puppy during her first year of life. Simple rhymes for each month of the year highlight seasonal activities. Each begins with "When Lucy goes out walking." Young children will appreciate the repetition. Gouache illustrations show Lucy's little boy owner, other children, and sometimes other dogs (in the month of March) engaged in seasonal activities, such as ice skating, sledding, dogs playing in puddles, flying kites, baseball, soccer, catching fireflies and watching shooting stars, making a lemonade stand, Trick or Treat (Lucy is dressed up in a jester's collar), braving cold November rain, and enjoying the first December snows. The double-page spread illustrations have a poem on one side. The previous month is named in the upper left-hand corner and a small illustration shows an activity from that month. The next month is named in the lower right-hand corner with a small illustrated preview of the next month's activity. It is a perfect lead for a page turn. This sequencing helps young children understand the concept presented. The passage of time is conveyed in the illustrations which show Lucy growing from January to December. This is an attractive, energetic introduction to the months and seasons, appropriate for the audience. The cover is an irresistible invitation to open the book. Readers will be rewarded. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo