BOW WOW

Reinen is an award-winning animal photographer who uses her amusing photos of dressed-up dogs to illustrate her first children’s book in the style of William Wegman. She follows a variety of purebred dogs through daily, commonplace events (to humans), such as eating meals, getting dressed, and cleaning house. The pampered pooches are photographed in comical costumes (sequined sunglasses and feather boas), reclining in bed eating pink-frosted doughnuts for breakfast, trudging along on the treadmill, or lolling in a bubble bath. Each activity is described with a simple sentence set in large type, and although the book is not intended as an easy reader, the text will be accessible to children at the early second-grade reading level. The oversized format and large, humorous photos also make this a likely candidate for dog-themed story hours, although the story itself is as lightweight as a Yorkshire terrier. An author’s note describes the specific breeds in each photograph. (Picture book. 4-7)