Good Boy, Fergus!

Judging from his picture-book repertoire, Shannon ("No, David!") knows well how exuberant types tend to" A feline sighting sends Fergus into a frenzy and, once outside, the pepped-up pooch will not come back in. (A hand-lettered page of the owner's verbal entreaties is a hoot.) Digging up a potted plant, getting a bath, taking a fur-fluffing spin in the car and begging for scraps at the table round out Fergus's fun-filled day (and reveal the unseen owner as a true pushover). Through it all, he's commended with "Good boy, Fergus!" Shannon's mixed-media illustrations, in the style of his David books, crackle with personality. Fergus's expressions and poses will be both funny and familiar to dog lovers, and the predominantly close-up perspective offers an immediacy that makes readers feel included in every second of the tail-wagging action. Paws down, Fergus is one memorable pooch. Ages 3-6. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2006 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2 -Reading this story is like having a romp with the funniest dog in town. As the book opens, two lines of text ( -Good morning, Fergus!/Want to go out? -) frame the irrepressible face of a furry white terrier, black button eyes glistening with excitement. Subsequent pages feature the pup -s adventures chasing cats and motorbikes, scratching and being scratched, playing in the dirt, begging for meatballs, and riding in the car. No matter what the animal does, his master -s refrain is -&you guessed it. Readers see everything from a terrier-sized perspective, and they rarely see anyone but Fergus. When he is trampling his owner to request a walk, they catch just a glimpse of a human face. The motorcyclist -s face is so covered with gear as to be generic. The more intimate portraits here are of things of interest to Fergus -spaghetti and meatballs, for example, or the whipped cream that he likes on his kibble. Shannon -s artwork is like an overstuffed sofa: colorful, homey, and bouncy. A riotous book to unleash on all readers -even those who own cats." -Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY" Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.