DON'T LOSE MR. CUDDLES

Chip the dog offers further important guidance for readers of all species to chew on.

Like life, “dogness can be complicated.” So, Chip observes, it’s vital to have a “special someone” with whom to share one’s hopes and dreams—in this case, a purple plush bunny companion named Mr. Cuddles. While it’s OK to lose balls or bones, which can be replaced, the bunny’s disappearance touches off a histrionic descent into guilt and despair. And no, a replacement plushie offered by Chip’s olive-skinned human family won’t butter the biscuit. “Ignore ALL my advice!” the despairing doggy wails, referencing Petty and Boldt’s previous installments in the series. “Eat bees, eat fire, trust cats. Just don’t lose Mr. Cuddles!” Readers will feel for this devastated, drooping pooch, at least until anguish gives way to suspicion when a household search turns up a trail of kitty treat crumbs and unfurled toilet paper. Could the culprit be a certain…cat? Uh-oh. That the ensuing denouement leads not to violence but to a glad reunion and a cozy general snuggle suggests that Chip is a worthy model for conflict resolution while testifying to the fact that our hero really is a “smart dog.”

Fetching tips for personal and domestic harmony.