Do You Have a Dog?

Behind every great man or woman, there’s a great dog, suggests this rhyming canine tribute, which follows the format of Do You Have a Cat? and Do You Have a Hat? Figures like Agatha Christie, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jackson Pollock, and Annie Oakley were all dog owners: “Billie Holiday had a dog/ who sat backstage as he was told./ A dog named Mister—good as gold.” Young readers itching for a furry friend will find only the benefits of dog ownership in Spinelli’s buoyant verse and Valério’s cheerful acrylics. Endpapers provide further details about the historical figures mentioned within. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)