Charlie the Ranch Dog: Where's the Bacon?

PreS-Gr 2—Charlie is a happy hound, the "boss" of his ranch, until another dog comes to visit and invades his territory. Rowdy eats his food, drinks his water, and even gets tummy rubs from his "mama." Charlie tolerates these affronts until he discovers Rowdy sleeping in his bed. That is the last straw. Charlie howls and scares the interloper right out the door and into the doghouse. However, instead of feeling better, Charlie realizes that Rowdy might be lonely out there and decides to go and share a bone with him. This early reader concludes with the dogs becoming friends and showing children that sometimes sharing can make a real difference. This book has a solid story line and the delightful illustrations work well. It supports Common Core State Standards by providing new readers with strong content to support key ideas and details. An appealing additon to most beginning-reader collections.—Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI