See Me Run

See Me Run by Paul Meisel

2012 Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Book

I will give an honest first impression of See Me Run -- in comparison with other award winning books that I've read, this book is not as impressive.  It is not a bad story for very young readers, but (to me) lacks the creativity of other award winners.

Having said that, this book does exhibit many of the characteristics that move forward a good picture book story.  The first thing that strikes the reader is the vivid color of the pictures.  We know that this story is going to be exciting and fun.  It is an outdoor adventure -- the fresh colors indicate a spring or summer day.

There is a lot of movement in the pictures.  The dogs "come and come", not just shown running, but actually flying over the hill.  Also, we know that they are going fast, by the dogs outstretched legs and lines showing air movement. We know that this is going to be fun & that these dogs are excited!  The dogs are shown "smiling", with their tongues hanging out -- we know that they are having lots of fun.

The scene with the mud puddle/lake is one sure to make young kids giggle, with the dogs splashing in the mud, getting thoroughly dirty, followed by "we need a bath" on the next page, in which they clean off in a stream, including one scarf-wearing pup doing the backstroke.  This scene is a particularly fun one, in the details such as aforementioned backstroking dog, a beagle who is chasing a fish and several dogs who are doing the dog classic full-body shake.

The fun comes to a sudden stop when the dogs dig up a dinosaur!  Their shock is clearly shown in their rounded eyes and sniffing noses -- echoing the text "What is this?" This is one of the strengths of the book -- the way that the pictures clearly support the words, allowing greater comprehension for beginning readers.

This book would be very good for pre-K to 1st grade.  Beginning readers will not only enjoy the fun pictures but will also gain confidence by being able to read the simple text.