A Dog's Life

PreS-K—This sweet, mischievous tale features a big, goofy mutt with no name. He skillfully narrates the story of his daily life and how helpful he is to his family. He declares, "I wash dishes. Slurp! Slurp!" The accompanying illustration shows the pup licking food off someone's plate from the kitchen table. In another declaration he says, "I guard the house and chase away invaders. Grrr! Growl!" It is clear from the picture that the "invader" is the mailman, letters flying out of his bag. On one of the most humorous spreads, the dog says, "I inspect the trash for anything I can recycle. Munch! Munch!" Of course, he is caught in the garbage with his mouth full of food. Full-page digital bleeds are bright and vivid. Readers never see the faces of the people, placing the total focus on the canine who steals the show with his engaging expressions. At the end, his big puppy-dog eyes look directly at readers as he reclines on his human's lap: "'I keep the humans warm, since they don't have any fur. ZZZZ…." Pair this with Daniel Pinkwater's I Am the Dog (HarperCollins, 2010) for an animated storytime, or in a one-on-one setting.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY