Silly Doggy!

PreS-K—Because she has always wanted a dog, young Lily adopts the runaway zoo bear that she finds in her garden and promptly names him Doggy. She admits that he is rather large for a dog, and a bit grumpy; he won't eat dog food and doesn't like to play fetch. Mom insists that Lily make a "Found" poster, which leads to the animal's reclamation, much to Lily's sadness, until she finds "Kitty" (an escaped tiger) drinking at the garden pond. Children will empathize with the narrator while chuckling over her obvious errors. Stower's gently colored drawings are charged with cheery particulars, such as the bear's yellow hair bow and striped tie "leash." The artist is especially adept at expressive poses, such as Bear hanging out of the bus window with tongue lolling and Lily's examination of his mouth to find a missing ball. This case of mistaken identity is familiar territory, but the illustrations keep it fresh and humorous—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA