THE TAMI STORIES

A curious little dog causes havoc, for which she is quickly forgiven on account of being so darn cute.

Tami the dog likes to escape from home. The world is full of interesting places and fascinating things like fireworks and piles of canned goods, so she doesn’t see why she should stay put inside the house. In a series of rhyming poems, Harvey spins several tales about Tami’s adventures from her owner’s viewpoint, a young schoolboy. Tami runs off to the grocery store, school, a concert and out into the rain where she makes good use of an umbrella. Luckily, her owners are good-natured and forgiving, even though she causes them to miss the second half of a formal concert and hurts her hip while running amok in a grocery store, requiring a visit to the veterinarian. But the mayhem seems worth it when Tami and her owner snuggle up together to watch the fireworks at a picnic. Harvey’s poems are occasionally impeded by awkward rhymes, such as “collar” and “her,” and “notice” and “this.” The cadence of the stanzas sometimes feels forced, which can make them difficult to read aloud to children. Overall, though, the poems are entertaining. Young children will especially appreciate Tami’s antics, but there are too few illustrations for the book’s target age group. Only 11 of the 45 pages are devoted to pictures; younger children are more likely to focus on books that provide more visual stimulation. The pictures that are included are competent but somewhat superficial–they match the narrative but don’t add to the story. Despite these weaknesses, this is an enjoyable story about a spunky little dog determined to have a good time.

A fun canine character overcomes mediocre writing and illustrations to charm younger children.