SMART DOG

Comfortably ensconced in his porch rocker, the man addresses his dog—``If you were a smart dog, you'd chase that rabbit''— and goes on to suggest less and less likely activities, from barely plausible tricks (``You'd dance on a drum'') to full-scale tall tale (``while you conducted your string quartet, the crowd would applaud as you juggled''), all resulting in fame, uproar, and wealth—which, in the end, would enable them to retire in ``a small house in the country for two,'' as they have already done. It's a slight variation on the familiar theme of recognizing the charms of home—but the story's considerably enlivened by Demarest's ebullient cartoon-style illustrations, rendered in dashing broad lines and cheerful watercolor; the pointy-nosed dog has an amusing gleam in his eye suggesting that at least he knows contentment when he sees it. (Picture book. 4-8)