Don't Lick the Dog

May 1, 2009
PreS-Gr 2-This colorful picture book provides humorous information on how to make friends and interact with dogs. The tips are easy and useful, but are delivered in rhyme with an uneven meter that feels forced: "You're so polite!/You can pet these five, /but Maddie might bite." Or, "Before you give a treat to Kate/make your hand into a plate/Lick, lick, lick!/Too much is ick!/It's all right to say, ENOUGH/to all that/sloppy kissy stuff." The exaggerated, loose-line, cartoon art, filled with bright, digital hues, has a fragmented feel. The woman giving advice to the children wears black, pointy gloves and boots, resulting in a harsh, didactic tone. The concept and message are good ones and it's clear that careful thought and consideration went into the informative tips, but the execution is not entirely successful. Stephanie Calmenson's "May I Pet Your Dog?" (Clarion, 2007) and Elizabeth Verdick's "Tails Are Not for Pulling" (Free Spirit, 2005) are better alternatives."Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2009
Preschool-G Maybe smooching strange schnauzers isnt such a good idea, but neither is cowering in fear. In this vividly illustrated and smartly written tutorial, Wahman runs through a set of rhyming tips for any child encountering a potential canine friend. Much of the advice is placid: Stand still and let dogs come to you / to smell your hand or sniff your shoe. Other advice is presented in rather startling fashion, as when flared, disembodied hands paw at a canines face: Whap! Whap! Whap! Dogs hate that! No matter the mood, the illustrations strike a perfect balance, using a spiky style reminiscent of papercraft atop bright, single-color backgrounds. The slightly surreal approach isnt the most obvious choice when designing what is essentially a safety book, but it works, nicely isolating the details that matter most, whether its how a palm holds chow beneath a doggies chin or the way to curl your fingers before allowing a pooch to sniff. Gentle self-defense suggestions close this unique offering.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
A very patient (also stylish) dog walker with five furry companions at the ends of multiple leashes explains, in spare rhyming text, the best ways to interact with unfamiliar dogs and how different pups might react to new people. Blocky, bold-hued illustrations in retro colors generously splashed across the double-page spreads provide a very basic glimpse at human/canine meet-and-greet behaviors.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)