THE TALES OF CHARLIE WAGS
Charlie the dog loves to travel (“How does he get around, you ask? He’s got a trick, it’s true! He gives his tail a little wag and ends up someplace new”), and in this picture book he takes in New York City’s traditional sightseeing highlights. He visits the Central Park Zoo and One World Trade Center, and checks out a Broadway show and Times Square. Charlie also views the city from atop the Empire State Building, cruises around the Statue of Liberty, and enjoys New York–style culinary pleasures (pizza and hot dogs). After a long day, Charlie heads home for relaxation and slumber following an enjoyable urban exploration. The text’s simple rhyme scheme focuses attention on rhyme and sounds, which can enhance early literacy skills. Sjöström’s illustrations—which combine the soft color palette and feel of traditional watercolors—portray both the time of day and the story’s happenings (a map at the book’s beginning highlights all of the places Charlie will visit) in a clear and aesthetically pleasing manner. The lovely images are primed to ignite wanderlust in young readers and encourage a desire for pursuing new experiences; this is especially true of Charlie’s picture wall, where he adds his photographic mementos of all the places he visits.
