A swan disguised as a hat and a giant mouse bride are just two of the totally improbable and infinitely satisfying characters that appear on these pages. With a bow to shaggy dogs and Aesop, Marshall has concocted seven uproarious tales in a chapter book that will be enjoyed by readers of any age or temperament.

Gr 2-4-- This collection of seven silly stories is written for slightly older readers than Marshall's usual fare, but his high-spirited wackiness is recognizable. Each concerns the foibles of animals and their various ways of outwitting each other. In the title story, Otis and Sophie Dog have had a sleepless night filled with ``the sound of little dancing feet and shrill musical instruments,'' and decide they need a cat. In the end, though, the rats leave the roof for reasons other than the Dogs or readers expect. In other tales, sheep escape the wolf in spite of their stupidity; a mouse bride frightens an intrusive cat; an owl deters an tree-chomping brontosaurus; a swan is rescued from a fox despite her bad judgment; a frog loudly admires his own legs until he discovers they can be sauteed; and a goose unwittingly befriends new wolf neighbors. The black-and-white illustrations are in perfect tune with the spirit of the tellings. Those just beginning to read chapter books should find that this is just the thing to tickle their funnybones. --Carolyn Jenks, Oyster River Elementary School, Durham, NH