WHAT IF MY DOG HAD THUMBS?

The titular question is explored in rhyming verse.

Visually, this book screams for attention with its illustrations in intense neon colors and striking contrasts (think dandelion yellow and magenta highlighted with cherry red or royal blue, magenta, and dandelion yellow accented with gold). Dog fans will love the main character—a shaggy canine that oozes personality and thrives on an adventure-filled, if imaginary, life. Word lovers will jump into the fun and ponder the question: “Would she walk around town shaking hands with all of her chums?” A spotted dog’s paw and the protagonist’s clasp across the gutter. “Would she go to the store, just to explore / what she could wear on the dance floor?” She boogies in blue jeans beneath a disco ball. The possibilities are endless, and each one is just a bit more complicated and unlikely than the one before. The rhyme isn’t always perfect, but the wordplay, always fun and sometimes philosophical, just asks to be read aloud. “Would she pick apples and make a pie? / Would she close her eyes and try to touch the sky?” The unstudied, playful aesthetic encourages readers to embrace the looniness and have fun creating their own imaginative rhymes. No possibility is too silly.

Creative concept and wordplay with playful illustration you can enjoy with your thumbs.