A cat leaves two dopey dogs instructions with an egg: "1. Sit on nest 2. Hatch egg 3. Teach baby to be a good dog." The dogs dutifully try teaching the hatchling to growl, bark, etc., with little success--until the bird gives the cat his comeuppance. The silly antics, happy resolution, and wacky cartoons with bright digital coloring are all preschooler-perfect.

PreS-Gr 1 In this silly tale, two dogs are tricked into raising a baby bird as if it were a puppy. Their attempts to "show Junior" how to growl, roll over, and bark will have kids giggling in fits when the bird can't mimic the canines. As one might expect, this bird acts like a bird. However, in the finale, the author defies expectations when the bird scares the naughty cat responsible for fooling the dogs, with one mighty "WOOF!" Czekaj's straightforward text and humor are perfect for storytime. The same is true of the visual style. Characters have large features, colors are solid shades, and there are plenty of opportunities for dialogic reading (especially when the cat pops up). Pauses are incorporated right into the illustrations, so even with a question-and-answer component, the flow is barely interrupted. This work also has a positive underlying message about adoption. VERDICT A great read-aloud for engaging and amusing those "ants-in-their-pants" preschoolers with short attention spans. Especially recommended for fans of James Proimos. Rachel Forbes, formerly at Oakville Public Library, Ont., Canada