Peg Leg Peke

In this small-format cartooned charmer, a Pekingese learns the value of the value of making lemonade out of lemons—but not via a moral tale. Spangler frames her first solo picture book as a type of interview, with questions and comments directed at the Peke. Upon discovering that the melancholy dog has a bad “boo-boo”—he's broken his leg and now wears a restricting cast—the unseen speaker smartly suggests, “You could be a pirate. With a peg leg!” “Oh?” replies the dog, as inspiration starts to dawn and his spirits rise. With a little more of such friendly and therapeutic encouragement, Peg Leg Peke is soon forgetting his troubles and embarking on a pretend treasure hunt (“East is this way,” the speaker adds helpfully, with a drawing of a compass rose thrown in for good measure). Spangler keeps her pictures simple, with just enough details and splashes of colors to set a scene. Kids, empowered by their role as speaker, should find the drawings sweet and chummy. Ages 3–6. (June)