Do You Have a Dog?

Behind every great man or woman, there's a great dog, suggests this rhyming canine tribute, which follows the format of Do You Have a Cat? and Do You Have a Hat? Figures like Agatha Christie, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jackson Pollock, and Annie Oakley were all dog owners: "Billie Holiday had a dog/ who sat backstage as he was told./ A dog named Mister--good as gold." Young readers itching for a furry friend will find only the benefits of dog ownership in Spinelli's buoyant verse and Valerio's cheerful acrylics. Endpapers provide further details about the historical figures mentioned within. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

Gr 2-4--Spinelli takes 11 famous individuals and their dogs and presents their stories in brief, rhymed text. Meriwether Lewis, Billie Holiday, Agatha Christie, and Jackson Pollock are among the celebs included. Each entry starts and ends with the person's name, followed by the phrase, "had a dog." The endpapers give additional information about the owners and their pets. The illustrations feature unattractive, elongated figures with wide cheeks and big noses. The eyes of the humans and the animals are flat and a little startling. There are some whimsical touches in each painting-Empress Josephine's pug is dressed like Napoleon, and Admiral Byrd's dog is sleeping with a miniature version of himself. Marginal at best.--Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ