Dog

PreS-KThis sturdy offering presents full-color photos of charismatic canines embellished with pull tabs and tactile (mostly furlike) textures. The brief, rhyming text highlights various critters and their behaviors, making comparisons and contrasts. On one page, a wheaton terrier (Little dog) is posed next to an English mastiff (Big dog) and a nervous-looking Chihuahua (Teeny dog quakes), while opposite, a neatly coiffed schnauzer backs away from a damp mutt in a tub and the verse finishes, Dry dog, /Wet dog/shake, /shake, /shake! (a pull tab moves the bathers head from side to side). Unfortunately, some of the concepts are not as clearly presented. One spread reads: Happy dog, /Sad dog, /Friendly dog licks./Slobber dog, /Pant dog, /Drooly dog sticks! Aside from the awkward phrasing, children may not notice that the aforementioned pooch has a touchable sticky tongue (its rather small) and miss the point completely. A page showing a Lab puppy in a squatting position declares, All dogs poop, while the English bulldog standing nearby lifts its legwith the help of a pull tabrevealing, All dogs pee. The book ends with foldouts that introduce each pet by name and breed. Leave this one for the bookstore crowd."Joy Fleishhacker", School Library Journal Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.