Publisher's Weekly Review
The initial spread in Pilgrim's debut picture book conveys its opposites-based conceit while introducing its characters. Big is a large shaggy black dog; Little is a sweater-clad hound, wee and white. As a butterfly flits by the window and Little moves to follow, spreads reveal the duo's differing navigational tacks executed in stroke-heavy art. Affable Big ambles "behind" Little when chasing the insect out into the yard; zippy Little struts "bold" into the forest while Big hangs back. When the two run into a fluffy brown bear, they are of a single mind (skedaddle!), even if one heads "left" and one "right" in their race from "here" to "there." For these friends, there are lots of ways to move through the world, but there's no need for opposites to oppose. Ages 3-6. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
A series of opposites describes two dogs ("Big / Little") and their relationship to each other ("Behind / Ahead") as they scamper after a butterfly; the bucolic setting is captured in painterly spreads. The opposites are well chosen and don't typecast: as the dogs head into the woods after the butterfly, it's the big one who's "timid," the peewee "bold. (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Two canine friends chase a butterfly in an adventurous romp.Big, a large, shaggy black dog, and Little, an energetic, small white pup, each react to a passing butterfly differently. When Little takes off in a chase, Big follows "Behind" while Little forges "Ahead." They go "Over" (Big) and "Under" (Little) a fence, aim their noses "Low" and "High," and are "Timid" or "Bold" and "Loud" or "Quiet." Deep, richly hued realistic paintings tell a fuller story than that expressed through the total text of 30 paired opposite words. Pilgrim's detailed, actively drawn animals reflect expressiveand frequently contrastingemotions, especially through her depictions of the dogs' eyes. When the dogs enter a wooded area and encounter an ornery bear that is comically disturbed when the butterfly lands on its nose, the chase becomes a quick scamper home, where the two friends settle on the porch for a rest. Little sprawls "Asleep" atop Big, who stays very much "Awake" anticipating the next caperlike that squirrel.Some careful picture perusing and dialogic reading will extend the narrative beyond the original opposite concepts introduced in this almost wordless story. Big and Little's owner is never depicted, but pictures on the wall suggest that she is a woman of color.Few words pair with lots of humor for a delightful outing. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
