FICTION

Teddy the Dog: Be Your Own Dog

by Keri Claiborne BOYLE
illus. by Jonathan Sneider. 32p. HarperCollins. May 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780062382832.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Teddy is the top dog, and he is loving life. He sings lullabies to the neighbors at night and takes care of stinky sweaty socks. Life is good until he is presented with the worst possible gift—a cat—and to make matters worse, Fishbreath isn't able to learn anything about being a dog. Teddy tries in vain to teach her to walk on a leash, stick her head out of the car window, and bark incessantly. When that doesn't work, Teddy decides to try some of the things Fishbreath enjoys and realizes that "we're both trying to be who we're meant to be" and "you just gotta be your own dog." Though the message of being oneself is present, it is not overbearing, and the story is a lighthearted tale of an unlikely friendship.
VERDICT Bright illustrations and cute characters will make this a favorite with young readers, especially pet lovers.
Reviewed by Betsy Davison, Cortland Free Library, NY
Teddy, a heedless and destructive dog who believes himself to be lovable, is horrified when he's entrusted with the care of a cat. He first tries to train her in dog mischief, but she ends up teaching him how to misbehave, cat-style. The un-self-aware narration ("I'm a charming and fetching dog") shoots for funny but falls flat; the illustrations are cartoony and generic.
 , Apr 01, 2016

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