BERNIE

Bernie, a stray, is adopted by Mr. Gruber as a hunting dog but prefers surreptitiously improving on Mrs. Gruber's cooking. Unfortunately, she's incensed when she finds him adding cinnamon to her stew, but—after a brief homeless period during which he acquires some animal friends—he finds a job as a cook in a restaurant, reclaiming its fortunes with his expertise. Aside from the unusual qualities of its canine hero, there's nothing remarkable here; still, the book reads smoothly and may amuse fans of animal stories. (Fiction. 6-10)