PET THAT DOG!

When 11-year-old Gideon was 8, he started the website IvePetThatDog.com and began posting a picture with every dog he met—by now over 1,000 dogs. The mother-son team now follows up with this informal guide to meeting and caring for dogs. Starting with how to safely pet a dog, they then cover canine body language, good places to encounter dogs, and several stories about heroic and inspirational real dogs. Mascots, therapy dogs, guide dogs, and rescue dogs are described in amusing detail. The text is peppered with vignettes, trivia, and useful tips for young dog lovers. Other sections cover adoption, caring for your dog, keeping your dog entertained, training, allergies to dogs, and basic care. There’s a silly dog name generator, a personality quiz, and a dog tracker (akin to birders’ life lists). Cheerful, humorous, full-color illustrations and background art add visual interest and feature ethnically diverse humans. Gideon’s infectious enthusiasm for his subject shines out from the engaging and chatty text. Those looking for a dog-care manual will need to supplement with additional information, but this fills an important niche for young dog lovers who may not have a pooch of their own. Those wishing to explore a perennially popular subject will be more than satisfied.