Jubilant colors buoy this profile of a braggart. “I’m the best,” announces an orange-and-red canine, three limbs raised gleefully. Competition with his pals (Ladybug, Mole, Goose and Donkey) trumps fondness: “I love them. They’re great, but I’m the best.” Dog trumpets, “I win. I’m the best,” after each victory—all rigged via selection of competitor. Of course Dog digs holes better than Goose and swims better than Donkey, but what if hole-digging were matched against Mole and swimming against Goose? The new winners are each best at something, while sore loser Dog sobs that he’s “horrible at everything” and was “mean to my friends.” He apologizes; they assure him he’s the best at “being our best friend” and “having beautiful fluffy ears.” Apparently you can’t teach an old Dog new tricks, though, for braggadocio gets the last word: “Oh, phew! Obviously having beautiful fluffy ears is the most important thing. So I AM the best.” Relish Cousins’s lusciously vibrant, liquid-textured inks and the thick pencil lines that boldly match the boasting. (Picture book. 3-5)
