cover image The Dog Ate My Homework!

The Dog Ate My Homework!

Carmen Caserta, Marilyn Nowitz. Greene Bark Press, $9.94 (1pp) ISBN 978-1-880851-14-2

Always ready with a feeble excuse as to why he hasn't done his homework, Stevie determines to turn over a new leaf when his teacher suggests that he might not get promoted to third grade. His efforts, however, are undermined by his dog, who is tired of being blamed for the ""missing"" homework and eats Stevie's completed assignment to teach him a lesson. Naturally, Steve isn't believed when he tells the truth, but his dog, the vet and an X-ray machine save the day. Part Aesop, part Saturday morning cartoon, this pedestrian collaboration by a pair of first-time authors is both clicheed and moralistic, and Jeffery's garish artwork, awash in purples, oranges and greens, does nothing to lift it above the mundane. All ages. (Oct.)