K-Gr 2-Living alone in his little house on a hill with a tiny yard big enough for his dog and a single tree, Mr. Potter has a perfectly cozy arrangement. However, the night he decides to let the dog in to enjoy the fire begins a chain of events that includes bringing the tree inside, too. Soon the growing tree wants to go back outside, so Mr. Potter makes a big hole in his roof to accommodate it. Now the tree has plenty of sunshine and critters, and all is well until it begins to storm. After days of rain, Mr. Potter moves his favorite chair, stove, and teapot into the dry, warm barn just as his house collapses. He is happy with his new arrangement until he realizes how lonely the cow out in the field looks, but this is a thought that the dog immediately nips in the bud. Smith's text is perfectly complemented by the illustrations. Without saying a word, the dog clearly wonders along with readers what ill-advised thing will Mr. Potter do next. Parkins uses a mix of realistic details, excellent facial expressions, and varying perspectives to bring the story to life. This kindhearted tale is best read aloud with plenty of extra time for laughter and bemusement.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Mr. Potter lives a cozy life in his little house, enjoying tea by the fire and looking out at a fine tree in his yard, underneath which his dog sleeps. One night, he notices his dog looking in through the window and decides to bring him inside. The generous gesture has ramifications, though: Now the tree outside seems lonely without the dog. Uprooting the tree, Potter plants it within the house, directly through the floorboards, and in no time the tree's growth necessitates a hole through the roof. When it inevitably starts to rain, the cherubic and portly Potter decides to move into the barn, allowing the tree to flourish outside once its growth precipitates the collapse of the existing house walls. The absurdity of this story flows neatly; even though Potter does not seem to understand his foolishness, in both text and illustrations the dog provides a healthy skepticism. Parkins's deep, dark acrylics on canvas detail all the comforts of home. Potter's noodlehead behavior will have kids anticipating and groaning throughout. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Mr. Potter's cozy, logical world his tidy home with a tree in the yard and a dog beneath it is turned topsy-turvy when he makes some illogical decisions. After bringing the mopey dog indoors, Mr. Potter also decides to plant the tree inside so it will not be so alone. Eventually a hole must be cut in the roof so the tree can grow, which causes all sorts of zany calamities. He and the dog ultimately make themselves comfortable in the barn, at which point Mr. Potter contemplates moving a forlorn cow in with them . . . until the dog nips him in the seat to bring him to his senses. The cartoon-style illustrations depict placid, richly colored scenes of Mr. Potter surrounded by his accoutrements in his cottage-style house and give no hint of the chaos that will soon ensue with twisty tree branches, nesting birds, and rainwater everywhere. For another story about a special tree, look for This Tree Counts! by Alison Formento (2010).--Enos, Randall Copyright 2010 Booklist

With a storyteller's voice and cadence, Smith introduces Mr. Potter, who lives alone in a house "just the right size for him and his teapot." His dog lives in the yard, sleeping under a tree, but one night Mr. Potter decides he should invite the dog inside -- and then worries that the tree should also be allowed in. He carefully digs up the tree and transplants it indoors, eventually cutting a hole in the roof, and doesn't mind living with the birds that come to nest in his house, too. Each choice Mr. Potter makes leads to another unforeseen consequence, but at the end, the dog prevents him from following through on a particularly foolish (if characteristically kindly) thought. Parkins's paintings play with light, texture, and pattern, depicting Mr. Potter as a slightly heavy middle-aged man with a taste for orange-and-red-striped clothing. The sumptuously colored pictures balance realistic touches such as the coloring and size of the birds with the outlandish comical events, grounding the preposterous story in the real world. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.