SCOUT AND THE SAUSAGE THIEF

Scout, a female German shepherd, is very excited to be trying for her Care in the Community badge at Sausage Dreams Puppy Academy.

In Scout’s anthropomorphic world, dogs don’t appear to be pets. As the daughter of police dogs, she naturally wants to do well at school and grow up to be just like her dedicated parents. Unfortunately, because she returns a lost teddy bear to a child on her way to school (exhibiting, as readers will enjoy noting, excellent citizenship skills), Scout arrives dirty and late. Flustered, she fails part of the test and is relegated to guarding the puppy treats, stored in a shed, instead of getting to complete the badge requirements. When the treats disappear from right behind her back, she is unfairly blamed and runs off in shame (so puppylike of her!). Then she discovers a notorious sausage thief and rescues an extended family of mice (the puppy-treat thieves, it turns out). All’s well that ends well. Scout’s good-humored, kidlike adventures are related in very large print, accompanied by lots of equally cheery drawings, making this an accessible read for children newly transitioning to chapter books. An appealing color photograph of a German shepherd puppy on the cover will instantly attract readers.

A bit silly but good fun.