The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey

Illustrated with rich acrylics and india ink, The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey creates a scene of peace, happiness, and tranquility as the paperboy and his dog embark on their paper route. As the story progresses from the early morning when it is still dark, to daybreak, to the end of the paper route, the paperboy and his dog remain constant companions, accompanying each other along the way. The actions of the dog parallel the actions of the boy. From waking up and getting out of bed, to eating breakfast from their bowls, to the boy and dog instinctively knowing what route to take, this book provides opportunities for children to look at perspectives in writing. Both the dog and boy enjoy doing the same activity, but they each have their unique routines whether it is the boy thinking about everything or nothing, or the dog sniffing or chasing squirrels. Routine can be comforting and necessary.

The rich illustrations portray the depths of the day. The colors used for the sky amazed me the most as I was reading. When daybreak strikes, the blend of pinks and oranges mix into both the sky and the clouds. Soon the orange tones combine with yellow hues as the sun comes out. The rolling hills and the overall landscape focus in on the changing sky. Besides the rich setting, I also liked how the illustrations began on the title page of the book. The title page showed the early morning delivery truck going to the paperboy's home. Although it did not have words, a young reader can better understand the sequence of events it takes to deliver newspapers.

Too often stories fail to show diversity. However, in The Paperboy the main character is an African American boy. I feel like realistic fiction books need to capture diversity more often in their stories like this picture book does. As a Caldecott honor book, The Paperboy deserves recognition for its great illustrations and use of parallelism between man and man's best friend.