Sonderbooks Book Review of The Story of Honk-Honk-Ashoo and Swella-Bow-Wow

Reviewed May 12, 2005.
Viking, New York, 2005. 36 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (E COS).
Sonderbooks Stand-out 2005 (#5, Picture Books)

The Story of Honk-Honk-Ashoo and Swella-Bow-Wow is so bizarre, I made everyone in my family read it. Like me, both my sons (ages 17 and 10) were compelled to read it aloud.

The story is simple and matter of fact. It begins, “There once was a pillow head who snored his name: Honk-Honk-Ashoo.” A pillow head? The pictures make the reader easily understand what this means, as we see a stick-figure cartoon sort of person with a pillow for a head.

Honk-Honk-Ashoo goes about his days with exercise, breakfast, chores, and play. The expressions on the faces of the many objects he uses add to the fun. Then one day, a little dog flees to Honk-Honk-Ashoo from the fearsome dog catcher. Honk-Honk-Ashoo ends up adopting the dog, and then having someone to share his daily activities.

The story is completely simple and matter-of-fact, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world to tell a sweet story about a pillow head adopting a little dog. My kids and I found ourselves going through the book over and over, noticing the delightful expressions and little details we had missed the first time.

This is truly a book that appeals to all ages. Completely bizarre. Completely fun.

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

*****The Story of Honk-Honk-Ashoo and Swella-Bow-Wow*

by Ralph Cosentino