ELVIS & ROMEO GO TO DOG SCHOOL

A pair of pups embark on an educational journey.

The curtain rises on Elvis and Romeo’s latest adventure; this time, it’s the first day of obedience school for Elvis the prickly bulldog and his pal, a larger, chipper, curly-haired poodle mix. The latter, however, isn’t exactly ready to learn; instead, he’s eager to showcase the tricks he’s already mastered as the hounds wait for class to commence. But when instruction begins and the doggie duo are presented with a new task—a game of catch—Romeo demurs, insecure about his inexperience. Under the watchful eye of his capable and encouraging friend, Romeo discovers that even the trickiest challenge isn’t insurmountable when broken into steps; Elvis’ guidance is proof that old dogs can, at least, teach new tricks. While Davis and Soman’s narrative models an actionable solution to overwhelming situations, and their language will prove accessible for new readers, the story is a bit tedious, its dialogue at times distractingly stilted. And while Soman renders his canine protagonists—who were introduced in a picture book earlier this year—with an appealing expressiveness, in this outing, the compositions aren’t nearly as varied, giving them a more static feeling. The result is neither engaging enough to warrant a read-aloud nor comforting enough to enter bedtime rotation. Only the hands and arms of the dogs’ human trainers are visible; one is brown-skinned, while the other is pale-skinned.

A pedestrian portrait of problem-solving for pooches.