Bark Park by Trudy Krisher, illustrated by Brooke Boynton-Hughes

Book cover for
Bark Park! by Trudy Krisher,
illus. by Brooke Boynton-Hughes

If you’re a dog, going to the park to play with people and canine friends must be the absolute definition of bliss. And that’s exactly what happens in this doggy-filled picture book. From the impatient wait at the door to the many joys of the park to falling into a yawning, sleepy heap at night, the dozen or so dogs featured in this book take pleasure in all parts of their day.

There’s a lot to admire about this book, starting with the cover itself. Filled with dogs playing and barking, it not only gives the reader visual clues as to the title, but also to the story found inside.

The rhyming text features short, declarative sentences printed in a simple font, oh-so-friendly for new readers. I do so love a stick and ball A and a just-like-it’s-handwritten G. The words are mostly single syllable, although a few double or triple syllable ones appear here and there (explored, beauty, chewing). A simple chorus of “Bark! Bark! Bark!” finishes up each stanza. The text is smartly placed on the page, allowing for plenty of white space.

Kids, grown ups, and dogs at a park, playing on a dinosaur statue, and eating ice cream.
From Bark Park! by Trudy Krisher, illus. by Brooke Boynton-Hughes

The pen and ink, watercolor, and colored pencil illustrations employs soft, summery washes, as well as rounded shapes and lines to create an inviting atmosphere. Who wouldn’t want to visit this park? It seems positively idyllic! And just like there are a variety of dogs (corgi, terrier, chihuahua, dachshund, etc.), there’s a wonderful diversity of humans, including mixed race families, same sex couples, adopted children, siblings, etc. The visual context clues are clear and easy to spot in most compositions. Although , for instance, it may be a bit challenging for readers to find the dog licking the ice cream cone in the illustration above.

My main concern with this book is the lack of repetition beyond "dogs", "bark", and "park". There’s quite a lot of new vocabulary introduced over the course of the book, especially considering the fact that the length of sentences, illustrations, and story seem to fit a newer, rather than more experienced, reader.

Muddy dogs on leashes and dogs getting petted, bathed, and fed.
From Bark Park! by Trudy Krisher, illus. by Brooke Boynton-Hughes

Hear what kids are saying about this book in this month’s What Kids Say post. What do the kids in your life think about this book?