JACK AND REBEL, THE POLICE DOG

This sequel to I, Jack (2004) continues the first-person narrative format in the unique canine-centered style of the previous volume, though this breathless narration wears thin in such a long story. Jack is a yellow lab who describes everything in his own breezy fashion with lots of comments on smells and tastes, as well as hilarious observations on the people in his life (the ape-dogs with no tails, as he calls them). Additional narrative variety is provided by spelled-out doggie-speak in larger type and by clever commentary in footnotes from the family cats, who refer to Jack as Big Yellow Stupid. In this latest adventure, Jack crashes the family car, leading to a new friendship with Rebel the police dog. Together they foil an attempted robbery, and Jack brings help to rescue Rebel and his handler. An author’s note provides background on the real dogs and cats who served as the models for the characters in the story, and a glossary of “Jackspeak” helps the reader translate Jack’s language into more familiar terms. (Fiction. 9-11)