CHICK ’N’ PUG

A little chicken enjoys his favorite comic book, The Adventures of Wonder Pug! When it’s done, he goes looking for his own adventure. There’s not much going on in the chicken coop, so he slips out and stumbles upon a real, live, sleeping pug who Chick assumes has all the superpowers his comic hero possesses. But Pug does not see things the same way and would prefer simply to continue with his nap. Finally Chick takes matters in his own wings when a suspicious-looking cat threatens to enter their space and lets out a loud “WOOF,” powerful enough to wake even Pug. The concept is stronger than the plot, and the sarcasm that peppers the book, though entertaining, may only be understood by adults. There doesn’t seem to be enough of a believable personal struggle for Chick’s character, so his triumph at the end reads more random than heroic. Sattler’s expressive drawings convey the humor, but the dark colors make Pug’s expressions hard to decipher. Funny but forgettable. (Picture book. 3-6)