A VERY PATIENT PUPPY

In this picture book, a pooch waiting for a morning walk dreams of myriad adventures.

Yellow, floppy-eared Kirby must go back to sleep while Casey works on a computer. He dreams that he is writing his own book, The Case of the Missing Bones, featuring “Sherlock Hound.” Kirby’s dreams continue, influenced by the noises of cars outside. Facing pages show a dog napping on one side and a canine starring in a dream on the other. Kirby the King gives bones to dogs; Kirby the singer howls Elvis Presley songs. Eventually, Casey calls “Lights! It will help you sleep if you turn the lights off.” This is the first hint in Rossmassler’s narrative that Kirby’s skills are extraordinary—a fact that becomes clear when blond, White Casey finally appears to take the canine outdoors, holding his leash as he walks alongside her wheelchair. An afterword explains service dogs’ abilities, but readers may be disappointed that they do not seeKirby turning off lights, closing drawers, or retrieving items. Instead, they glimpse the fantasy pursuits that he dreams about, like painting and snowboarding. The author’s watercolor paintings accurately and lovingly capture the movement of a pooch at rest, and visual humor comes from the occasional anthropomorphizing in Kirby’s dream world. This work, full of enjoyable, lighthearted musings about canine thoughts, may prove intriguing for young wheelchair users working with service dogs for the first time.

An engaging tale about canine skill sets and service dogs’ training, with moments of comedy.