A Puppy of My Own

Will Emily's parents finally allow her to get a yellow Lab the only thing she wants for her eighth birthday? Well, that special day comes and goes with no sign of a pooch for a present, but the novel's title and cover art revealing the heroine and the long-desired Lab make the answer to the plot's big question a foregone conclusion. Despite its predictability, this inaugural installment of the Woof! series introduces credible, likable characters, including the determined young heroine; her loyal best friends, Lauren and Kaia; her good-natured parents and teasing brother. Loggia keeps the narrative moving at a good clip and the dialogue breezy, only occasionally indulging in some corny moments, as when she includes several journal-like entries allegedly written by the story's canines and in her description of a disappointed Emily riding in the family car, unaware that she is en route to pick up a puppy (""Without a dog, the wind had gone out of her sails. And the bark had gone out of her bite""). The author beefs up her fiction with concluding advice on whether or not to adopt a dog and how to select a breed. Though they'll find no surprises in these pages, youngsters who share Emily's passion for puppies will lap this up. Also due the same month, starring Emily's friend Lauren and her bichon frise, is Woof! #2, Cute As a Button (-48734-5). Ages 7-10. (Mar.)