SAMMY, DOG DETECTIVE

From Bare (Toby the Tabby Kitten, 1995, etc.), an informative look at the life of a police dog that effectively dispels the myth that such dogs must be vicious and aggressive. Sammy the dog leads two lives: beloved family pet and working dog. He and his owner, police officer Andy Schlenker, comprise a K-9 team, attending training school together, where, in addition to learning ordinary commands, Sammy, responding to hand signals as well as verbal commands, had lessons in agility, search, and attack. He's only had to bite twice—just his bark scares most criminals into surrender. Both the text and full- color photographs are uneven. Bare regularly lapses into the passive voice and other awkward phrasing; while some pictures—of Sammy in action, going through agility trials, or visiting school children—are compelling, posed shots of him wearing glasses or looking at the computer are not. The subject of the book is so inherently interesting that most children will be able to get past such quibbles. (index) (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-10)