In a backwards counting story, Flather follows ten boisterous canines on their daily excursion. Readers observe as the gang of adventurous pups dwindles from ten to one as each dog becomes distracted during the mad dash around town. The lure of chasing one’s own tail, being too hot to trot, and a passing bee are some of the whimsical diversions. Jaunty rhymes relate the action and demonstrate a wry appreciation of canine idiosyncrasies. “Four silly dogs/are climbing/ the stairs./If one fuzzy dog/just stops and stares,/then there are three/climbing the stairs.” Every numeral introduced is highlighted in a bright red box. The full-page, richly hued illustrations capture in energetic lines dogs at play. (Picture book. 2-5)
