Chihuawolf

Gr 3—5—Paco is a Chihuahua with a big heart. Longing to catch the eye of Natasha, a large pedigree breed who only likes tough-guy dogs, he tries to turn himself into a werewolf. When a large, wild creature comes to town, however, Paco believes it is a real werewolf. Then Natasha disappears, and Paco overhears from his owner and her friends that she was last seen heading toward Mount Diablo with a large dog. When Paco finds out that the children are thinking of going there to find Natasha, he knows he has to stop them from becoming werewolf bait. With the help of Professor Pewmount, a skunk who's been helping him release his wild side; Coco, his canine friend; and a group of wild animals, he risks everything to bring his love and his family back home safely. Will he succeed? The characters are a bit two-dimensional, but the mood of mystery and suspense is well sustained and does a good job holding readers' interest. The interspersing of Spanish words and phrases is a fun addition. Each chapter opens with a small black-and-white illustration. A good addition to animal-adventure collections.—Kira Moody, Hunter Public Library, West Valley City, UT