Pretzel and the Puppies: Construction Pups

K-Gr 2–This story serves as a simple introduction to the many adventures Dachshund Pretzel and his puppies will have in their new Apple+ show. When the puppies notice that the smaller dogs are too short to see out of the town’s new observation tower, they step up and find a solution. The puppies decide to build step stools and all work together to create a design, gather materials, and put the stools together. Overall, the plot serves as a solid reminder of how to handle tools safely and to use them under adult supervision. Tools like the drill and the saw aren’t used by the pups at all, though they do get the chance to observe. More importantly, their focus on teamwork and helping seems to ground the book and this series in general. Word choice is fine for a transitional title, though younger readers will need help with the more difficult words, such as binoculars.