FIVE LITTLE PUPPIES JUMPING ON THE BED

Monkeys shouldn't get all the fun, should they?

Despite repeated reprimands, little pups continue to jump on the bed in this slight twist on a well-known storyline. “Five little puppies jumping on the bed, / One fell off and bumped his head.” Though never in view on the page, the dogs' mama calls the doctor as each baby tumbles off the furniture, only to hear the familiar rebuke. The pattern is broken at the end, when the resolution sends the final animal in search of his missing canine companions. The doctor changes his professional opinion and offers an acceptable and timely though didactic alternative: “Let those puppies play outside!” (This is all accomplished in one four-line stanza.) Textured elements, from the rubbery wetness of a puppy's black nose to the cotton-candy–pink tufts of a poodle's hair add opportunities for interaction. There's a soft physicality in the puppies’ daring gymnastic feats; their playthings provide a reminder of their games.

With its rushed conclusion, there's not enough bounce to lift this rhyme out of the ordinary.