cover image Doggy Whys

Doggy Whys

Lila Prap, North-South, $16.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-7358-4014-0

In this import from Slovenia, Prap uses the same mix of irreverence and information seen in Why? And Dinosaurs?! to answer 14 dog-related questions, which range from "Why Do Dogs Do What We Tell Them?" to "Why Do Dogs Sniff Each Other's Bottoms?" On each spread, a trio of cats offers smart-alecky answers (these do not always translate well: one cat suggests that some dogs are more obedient than others "Because they are beaten"). More factual answers are provided in longer paragraphs opposite, accompanied by naïf portraits and descriptions of various breeds. Although some questions, like "Why Do Some Dogs' Ears Hang Down?" aren't answered satisfactorily, dog-lovers will pick up some interesting tidbits. Ages 4–up. (May)