Scooter in the Outside

K-Gr 2—Scooter the dog is always on a leash when he and Lucy go walking throughout the neighborhood, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells. Then one day, as Lucy rushes out to school, she leaves the front door ajar. Scooter immediately takes advantage of his first taste of freedom. He runs around the usual spots and then comes to the street. Should he cross? Yes, it's off to new adventures. He runs through a sprinkler, which is fun, but he is quite frightened by a wailing fire truck and beeping garbage truck. As he cowers under a tree, Lucy comes along and takes the grateful pup home. This simple story is elevated by its use of language and sound effects. "'Look at me! Look at me!' he barked to the world. But what came out was this: 'WOOFA-WOOFA-WOOFA!'" The watercolor illustrations show an expressive, lovable canine and a friendly neighborhood with an assortment of people engaged in typical activities. Altogether, this is a winning package.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI