MY PUP

Rhythmic cadence, easy rhymes and repeated familiar words add up to a joyful, easy-to-read paean to the pleasures of puppy ownership. The beagle puppy and her (or his?) owner spend one rollicking day together. Whether the owner is throwing a ball, rubbing the puppy down from a bath, protecting her pup from a scary Siamese cat or enjoying a walk, this bespectacled heroine is in charge of her canine friend. Very easy language makes this accessible to the earliest reader, and the careful rhythm makes text easy to predict and memorize. “New puppy, young puppy, soft puppy, small. / Grow, puppy, run, puppy, chase, puppy, ball.” Sunny gouache-and-pencil illustrations put girl and dog at the center of each spread and the final night-night scene calmly brings this sweet tale to a close. New readers and children who love puppies—and who doesn’t?—will sit, stay and read this one. (Picture book. 3-7)