I AM DOG!

“It’s a dog’s life.”

A spotted pup and a dark-skinned child with puffy ponytails play and cuddle and mess their way through a day together. Dog narrates the story. “I am Dog. Dog is me. I like walkies. I like tree.” “I like rolls in foxy pong. Foxy pong is nice and strong.” Dog chases the neighbor cat, steals sausages, and sniffs other puppy posteriors. There is much word repetition for rhythm’s sake. “I like scratchy-scratchy tum. I like sniffy-sniffy bum.” In the evening, Dog jumps on the table, making a mess of dinner and eating much of it. The child angrily sends (a clueless) Dog to bed, but the day ends with the little one smiling over the sleeping pooch. First published in the U.K., this paean to pups does have a few Briticisms in the rhyme scheme, but young American dog devotees will pick meanings up from picture and context. Young listeners will giggle at Bently’s text and recognize their own canine companions in Chatterton’s bright cartoon illustrations. Human characters depicted in Dog’s neighborhood are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A fine and funny dog’s-eye view of a loving relationship.