• Review: Two Dogs on a Trike by Gabi Snyder, illus. Robin Rosenthal
• Source: e-ARC courtesy of Gabi Snyder and Abrams Books. Thank you!
• Publication: May 19, 2020 by Abrams Appleseed/Abrams Books

Count up to 10 and back down again in this picture book starring 10 traveling dogs and one very tenacious cat!

One by one, each dog escapes its yard and joins the adventure in this hilarious counting story. Vehicle-obsessed readers will love seeing all the modes of transportation that the pups use—until the family cat decides to round them all up to go back home.
Gabi Snyder’s charming text and Robin Rosenthal’s delightful illustrations are a surefire combination in this winning picture book.

The starred picture book debut from author Gabi Snyder and illustrator (and art director/designer) Robin Rosenthal, Two Dogs on a Trike is a deliciously bright, funny, and memorable counting book.

As Two Dogs on a Trike opens, readers can see what appears to be one lonely dog waiting to sneak by an open gate- but what or who are they waiting for? And… why is there a kitten (sipping from a steaming mug) keeping such close tabs on the dog? Aha! The dog has gotten a ride with their friend- now there are two dogs on a trike! Counting up to ten and back down again, a beatific and growing group of canine friends take different methods of transportation (trolley, train, ferry, plane, and more!) while adventuring, dancing, and munching on pizza. Everything seems to be cool and perfect until the count of ten dogs leads to one cat-astrophic reveal!

Two Dogs on a Trike has all the makings of being not only a go-to for repeated readings, but also a big read aloud hit at toddler-and-up storytimes: the smooth and quick pace of the one-to-ten counting, the straightforward rhyming, and the marvelously eye-catching illustrations and visual gags all add up to one super book. For readers who love animal books and for those that love picture books with transportation elements- it’s all here! There is also the added feature of the stern- yet ridiculously adorable- calico kitten readers can seek-and-find on every page of story. The ending of Two Dogs on a Trike may leave readers in giggles and wondering if a sequel featuring more feline friends might be in order!

Readers who love the zany comedy of books such as John Himmelman’s Chickens to the Rescue; the sweetness of books such as Joyce Wan’s Count My Cupcakes 123; or laugh-out-loud picture book authors like Jan Thomas, Ame Dyckman, or Ross Burach might especially love the genuine joy and hijinks (and counting!) within Two Dogs on a Trike. Readers can look forward to a new book by Gabi Snyder and illustrator Stephanie Graegin called Listen set to release in 2021, while Robin Rosenthal has illustrated a board book series called Big Ideas for Little Philosophers set to release next month!

Extras: Over on Warwicks Books’ Instagram, you can see a Storytime with Sonia reading of Two Dogs on a Trike. It is delightful! And if you are looking for some fantastically fabulous GIFs, over on illustrator Robin Rosenthal’s GIPHY, there are a NUMBER of awesome Two Dogs on a Trike character GIFs!

I received a copy of this title courtesy of the author and Abrams Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.