THE DOG WHO CRIED WOOF

The flat forms of folk art and a quirky palette, weighted toward the violet end of the spectrum, decorate the story of Ernie, the dog who won't stop barking. Ernie's owners, coyly referred to as ``the people in the house,'' wear earmuffs to block the excitable dog's constant noise. So accustomed are they to his racket that when a cat moves in next door and starts stealing Ernie's food, no one notices his alarmed barking. Ernie's life takes a serious turn; like the boy who cried wolf, he learns to temper his outbursts. The impact of the story, with its mild echoes of Tracey Campbell Pearson's The Howling Dog (FSG, 1991) is diluted by unnecessary details in the text; in fact, it's possible to follow the plot in the pictures alone. Coffelt (Tom's Fish, 1994, etc.) has created a story that, on the strength of its visuals, has definite kid-appeal, but it won't stand up to repeat readings. (Picture book. 3-7)