SCRUFF

A man discovers that his new dog doesn’t live up to his name.

A bearded, bespectacled, brown-skinned man adopts a small black dog no one else wants. The dog is “scruffy,” but the man is sure they’re a good match: “I’m a scruffy guy, so that suited me just fine.” But the owner soon discovers that the dog, whom he’s named Scruff, doesn’t like to be rambunctious like other dogs, who also tend to roll in the mud and relish the dirt. In fact, while taking a bath, the man discovers that Scruff wants to be pampered. Scruff joins him in the tub, and later the two get a haircut and even get their claws and nails done. After Scruff’s “spruce up” into a well-groomed dog, the man enters him into a dog show, and Scruff wins in an unexpected category. The relaxed, cartoon illustrations themselves are scruffy, with loose, scribbly lines and an absence of background details on a palette of bright, limited colors, including a vivid, glowing green. Built on a weak premise, though, the story is unfocused; there is little to no conflict and no stakes driving the action, though young readers, particularly dog lovers, may get a kick out of Scruff’s makeover and the idea of a dog who loves a blow-dryer directed straight at his face. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.3-by-17.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 34% of actual size.)

A thin, forgettable tale.