A VERY PUGGY CHRISTMAS

A hungry dog eats treats left out for Santa in Kelly’s rhyming picture book.

Paula, a pug, and her unnamed human friend are walking through town before Christmas; for the first time, the dog hears about Santa. The next night, Paula picks up the scent of something delicious and takes off running on her own. Believing Santa left the cookies for her, Paula scarfs them down and heads out, only to encounter the same smell coming from another house. She eats treats from homes all over the village; when she sees her human friend again, he points out that they were meant for Santa, not her. He then suggests that they “bake / the best cookies around: / a batch to replace / the ones Paula had found.” After working for hours, she replaces everything she ate and returns home, only to meet Santa there. His gift to her? More cookies. Hardman’s illustrations are comical and fun. However, readers may find it a bit concerning that the cookies are strongly implied to have chocolate chips, which are toxic to dogs. Overall, the overarching message is a bit thin, but no matter: It’s a silly tale, the rhymes are enjoyable to read aloud, and the whole enterprise will delight lovers of pugs and Christmas alike.

A slight but often delightful holiday story.