DAISY AND JOSEPHINE

Daisy’s new puppy may refuse to play fetch, chase or catch, but she’s a fashionista who soon wins Daisy’s heart.

Daisy’s father’s a famous entertainer and her “all-together favorite person.” Even though Daisy travels everywhere with her father, she’s lonely and longs for a friend. One day, her father surprises Daisy with a funny-looking puppy named Josephine, with “no tail, giant ears, and a smooshy nose” and protruding bottom teeth. When the little girl tries to play with Josephine, the puppy refuses, prompting a frustrated Daisy to ask, “What do you want do?” To Daisy’s surprise, French-speaking Josephine explains that she is a French bulldog: “And I just love clothes! Oh, please, won’t you help me find something stylish to put on?” Soon, Daisy and Josephine bond as together they create “très chic” outfits.  Unremarkable digitally colored pencil illustrations rely on line and pale color washes to highlight Daisy’s loving relationship with her father, her transformation from shy to confident girl, and Josephine’s ultrafeminine, humorous, fashionably attired persona. Daisy’s marked overbite provides a droll contrast with Josephine’s prominent lower fangs.

A canine penchant for French couture adds unexpected verve to this otherwise fairly ordinary tale of a lonely girl.