Lee follows her debut (The Very Rich Lady and Her One Hundred Dogs
) with this low-key account of a puppy who sings to his veterinarian owner's patients. Paw, a floppy-eared cocker spaniel, speaks in earnest, dog-like sentences: "I am Paw. This is April. She's my owner. She's a vet." The two live together in a cozy-looking apartment; as part of their morning routine, April does a 10-point health check for Paw ("One
, your eyes so bright! Two
, your ears, so clean!..."), depicted in a sequence of spot illustrations. Then the two head for the clinic. A series of full-bleed spreads, drawn with colored pencil and gently tinted with watercolor, shows the animals in April's clinic waiting room with their owners. Paw "sings" to each of them ("Don't be afraid, Sweet Pea!" he tells the tortoise, who has eye trouble, "A course of vitamins B, C and A will soon help you see again!"). The drawings humorously cast doubt on Paw's version of events; penciled letters record the sounds really coming out of his mouth ("Woooolffuuuuu"). After a trip to the park and dinner, April and Paw are ready for another check-up and bed. The young, lighthearted vet and her slow-moving dog are a perfect match; their fruitful partnership will comfort young readers, and so will the way they tend not only to their patients' health, but to their hearts as well. Ages 3-6. (Apr.)
