THE DAY MY DOGS BECAME GUYS

Readers who ever hoped that their pets could become people will embrace this silly fantasy from Markoe (for adults, Merrill Markoe’s Guide to Love, 1997, etc.). “I wish they were people, so we could make them understand things once and for all,” Carey complains about his three unruly pooches. When an eerie eclipse happens, Carey’s wish comes true; there’s no teaching these old dogs new tricks, even when they are people (and not all the “guys” of the title). Ed, Dee Dee, and Butch still chase after cars, harass squirrels, and eat Carey out of house and home, then magically transform back into dogs just before Carey’s mother returns to the scene. The dogs never learn their lesson, Carey nobly takes the rap, and he learns to be more careful about his wishes. Brace hilariously captures the tongue-wagging canine-turned-human trio with off-kilter perspectives that fill this offbeat look at a dog’s life with fun. (Picture book. 5-8)