PreS-Gr 3-Free-verse poems about 14 individual dogs sprawl across oversize spreads accompanied by large oil illustrations. The poems and paintings together delightfully capture each distinct personality in few words and with broad strokes of the brush. The fonts change often and reflect the poet's words-rising and falling, sometimes in bold type, growing larger and smaller and dancing over the pages. The format allows for plenty of white space, emphasizing the postures and personalities of the pups and helping the playful fonts to stand out. The overall result is an entertaining visit with some very appealing canines, and a book that perhaps could serve as an inspiration in the classroom for young poets trying to describe their own pets. One wishes that the breeds were listed somewhere, but all in all, this title is still a real treat.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

An appealing cover image of a charming pug invites the reader into this ode to canine companions by the mother-and-daughter team. Fourteen short, non-rhyming poems introduce a variety of highly individualistic dogs, with the personality of each one captured in just a few revealing lines. The poems are written in first person with an innocent viewpoint appropriate to a dog's egocentric perspective on the world. Abby "borrows" bones, balls and slippers (and doesn't give them back); Mr. Beefy the pug steals butter (or even a cherry pie) from the table; and Lucy, adopted from a shelter, sleeps between her owners with her own pillow and teddy bear. Schneider's expressive paintings add to each dog's character, skillfully capturing distinctive breed characteristics, with expressive eyes and playful postures that indicate thorough knowledge of canine behavior. Thoughtful design elements include a trail of paw prints leading from the cover through the front matter into the text, varying type treatments and a mixture of illustration perspectives. (Poetry. 4-9)

Every dog has a unique personality, as seen in these fourteen poems. There's the timid puppy who stays close to his owner; Lucy, adopted from a shelter, who claims everything is "mine"; and Pocket, who's tiny but thinks he's huge. The paintings of these appealing dogs add to their charm. Some of the shaped lines of text, however, are distracting.

Dogs of all sizes and shapes take center stage in this picture book by the authors and illustrator whose first collaboration, Painting the Wind (2003), also displayed an affinity for the canines among us. Each spread features a dog (or two or three) and a succinct poem written from the canine perspective. Presented in a variety of fonts and type sizes that reinforce the meaning of the words, the poems offer odes to the various pleasures of life eeping in the sun and chasing balls ny of which aren't limited to dogs. One animal offers a tribute to his own needle-shaped nose: If something is closed, I open it. / If it is perfect, I tear it apart. / I love my work. / I love my nose. Dominated by multiple shades of brown and gray, the book's palette is not wildly colorful, but the paintings capture the individuality of each animal, as well as the mischief and movement young dog lovers find so irresistible.