POOJO'S GOT WHEELS

A dog born without hind legs must think fast when his wheelchair gets a flat tire.

Poojo, a bug-eyed, gray-and-white pup, is unfazed by his lack of hind legs—after all, he’s got snazzy red wheels, with “cool pockets to store stuff.” But above all, he’s got a happy-go-lucky personality. “He’s a good friend to everyone… / and everything,” Charrow notes wryly as Poojo cozies up to a kid’s scooter. “He can do anything,” be it chasing a squirrel, popping wheelies, or, in an energetic double-page spread, outrunning the competition at the dog park’s obstacle course. But when Poojo vexingly gets a flat tire, he must be resourceful. After some trial and error, Poojo and his tiny, pink rabbit sidekick find a solution…along with a clever costume for the doggie costume parade. Elongated pages and ample white space highlight the quirky cartoon illustrations, especially Poojo’s simple but endearing expressions: worry, annoyance, and, above all, happiness. Background characters add amusing notes: A pigeon snorkels in the birdbath, and the other dogs sport wonderfully silly costumes. With straightforward brevity (most spreads have at most one sentence), the text treats Poojo’s condition with matter-of-fact good humor, simultaneously acknowledging the occasional inconvenience of his disability and demonstrating coping skills. Adding to the cheerful tone, the typeface’s large, well-spaced letters curl slightly at the ends, recalling Poojo’s wagging corkscrew tail.

This upbeat tale of an irrepressible pooch is sure to leave readers smiling.