Jake: A Labrador Puppy at Work and Play

An adorable puppy and a writer who understands dogs as deeply as he loves them are the subjects of this splendid photo essay. Jones chronicles the milestones in his dog Jake's first year, from the initial meeting with the elder Jones dog, Luke, to lessons in retrieving. The author's affection--a pure sort, born of respect and knowledge, and uncontaminated by coyness or embarrassment--permeates the text. Eppridge's photographs, too, cleanly capture Jake's brand of animal magnetism. The only danger: Jones is so experienced a trainer that Jake learns the household routines with few setbacks (he chews, photogenically, on a cat-shaped tea cozy), and housebreaking is painless--mere mortals might want to add Some Swell Pup to the syllabuses of young would-be dog-owners to foreshadow more typical experiences. Older readers should be encouraged to peruse Jones and Eppridge's Upland Passage: A Field Dog's Education , a simultaneously released adult trade title that greatly expands on the material covered here while retaining the same rare balance of enthusiasm, wisdom and restraint. Ages 8-up. (Oct.)