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Summary
Summary
Sherman Crunchley is in line to become chief of police when his father retires. The problem is, Sherman doesn't like being a police officer. He has a hard time saying no to anyone-crooks, his boss, and especially his dad. Sherman turns to self-help books, videos, and even hypnosis to learn how to refuse, but nothing works. On the day of his father's retirement party, Sherman finally comes up with a solution, and the party guests help him convey a loud and clear message. Readers will tip their hats at the resourceful way Sherman finds happiness in this silly, thoroughly satisfying story about being true to oneself. Illustrated by Tim Bowers.
Author Notes
Laura Joffe Numeroff was born in Brooklyn, New York on July 14, 1953. When the time came for her to choose a college, she only applied to Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn for fashion design. She hated everything about it and ended up taking a class in writing and illustrating books for children because it sounded like a great class. She received an assignment to write and illustrate a children's book, and after completing it, made several attempts to get it published. After only 4 rejections, Macmillan bought it. She graduated from college with a degree and a contract for her first book.
Since then she has written over twenty books including If You Give a Mouse a Cookie; What Mommies Do Best, What Daddies Do Best; Laura Numeroff's Ten Step Guide to Living with Your Monster; Phoebe Dexter Has Harriet Peterson's Sniffles; Ponyella; If You Give a Dog a Donut; and It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse! She has received numerous awards including the Buckeye Children's Book Award in 1989, the Quill Award for If You Give a Pig a Party in 2006, and the Milner Award in 2007.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-Sherman Crunchley, a police officer in Biscuit City, has a family tradition to follow. He is to become chief of police when his father retires next month. The problem is, though, that this dog doesn't want the position but doesn't want to disappoint his dad. The only thing he likes about the job now is wearing the hat. The truth of the matter is that hats are the love of his life. He is pictured throughout the book wearing a variety of different and outlandish headgear ranging from the simple police hat to a doghouse hat. He tries a variety of methods to communicate this fact to his father, including checking out How to Say No from the library and ordering a video tape entitled Must Say No. He even tries seeing a hypnotist. Finally, he gets an idea. He fashions special hats for all of the guests at his dad's retirement party and assigns them to their seats, whereupon the letters on their hats spell out, "I don't want to be chief." To Sherman's surprise, his father is delighted; he didn't want to retire. The illustrations are done in bright, bold colors, and the pup's hats add an amusing touch. Children will enjoy this funny tale, and they might even learn a lesson about life in the process.-Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Canine police officer Sherman Crunchley has no desire to take a bite out of crime. And he really doesn't want to fill his father's shoes as police chief, even though it's a family tradition. Given the elder Crunchley's imminent retirement, however, it seems inevitable that affable Sherman will be leading Biscuit City's bow-wows in blue-unless he can finally, just once, bring himself to say no. Quick thinking and a bit of haberdashery put Sherman and his dad on the same wavelength. Numeroff and Evans (who teamed up for Monster Munchies) have crafted a mild-mannered, humorous tale about handling a difficult situation. Bowers (previously paired with Numeroff for Sometimes I Wonder If Poodles Like Noodles) brightens the proceedings considerably with softly textured oil paintings of pleasant pooches seen from a variety of angles. His friendly assortment of breeds donning human clothes makes Biscuit City look like a swell place to serve and protect. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Because he can't say no, Sherman the dog is doomed to succeed his father as police chief, a job he doesn't want. Finally he devises a plan: he'll use his real vocation, hat-making, to communicate his wishes to his father. Nearly as wacky as his hat designs, the story of Sherman's journey to assertiveness features energetic illustrations with numerous canine details. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Sherman learns how to be his own dog in a tale that revolves around the ability--or, in Sherman's case, inability--to say no. Though Sherman doesn't like police work, force of tradition--long family tradition--is about to land him the chief's job. He can't say no and disappoint his father; in truth, Sherman--drawn as an insecure but sweet pooch in Bowers's ingratiating artwork--can't say no to anyone. Now, hats--well, Sherman can't say no to hats, either, but that's because he likes them so much. After a series of goofy self-help schemes fails to give voice to Sherman's inner "no," he decides to let his hats speak for him. Such a little word to create such anxiety, though the authors' point will not be lost on young readers: if you say no, the house will not fall down and family and friends will not flee; this time, the negative has positive potential. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.