GIVE THE DOG A BONE

Award-winning author and illustrator of over one hundred children’s books, Kellogg (The Missing Mitten Mystery, see below, etc.) takes a familiar counting rhyme to greater nonsensical heights, especially when “this old man plays seven and soars right up to doggy heaven,” where angel Pinkertons await. Thirteen varieties of dogs—from wee Pugs to Great Danes—leap across the pages, making irreverent comments about each old man’s escapade. Caught up in the wild tale from the start, the reader will find it entirely natural for the old man to play nick-nack on a beehive, demand hens lay chicks, get hauled home by sled dogs, and find himself pursued by hungry raptors wanting bones. There’s also a final note about the rhyme, sheet music for piano with guitar chords, and a reminder that this song has a practical purpose—teaching “language, counting, rhythm, and coordination.” The author’s tremendous love for dogs of all sizes will become self-evident in the full-color illustrations packed with 250 animals to count. The slapstick humor and zany illustrations make this oversized paddywhack a winner. (Picture book. 3-6)