No Dogs Allowed

When the Arbuckle family prepares to leave on vacation, their mutt, Mercer, is overjoyed to be included. But matters look bleak when Mercer proves to be canis non grata at every motel along the way. ``I've got an idea,'' says Mr. A., and, in a development very much recalling the plot of Susan Meddaugh's Martha Calling, Mercer is nattily attired in a suit, bowler and black handlebar mustache. He is then introduced to the desk clerk of the tony Duchess Abigail Hotel as the non-English-speaking Monsieur D'Puppie. All's well at first, but unfortunately monsieur attracts unwanted attention from two hotel guests: Madame Croissant, a Parisian, and (worse) Dr. Ruffman, a veterinarian. Schneider's (Uncle Lester's Hat) sense of humor is evident everywhere, from the dog-unfriendly highway signs to the waiter who apologizes for serving Mercer's dinner in a doggie bag, to the Arbuckles' assorted excuses for Mercer's poochy behavior. Exuberant cartoony illustrations complete this tale of a dog who really knows how to put on the person. Ages 4-8. (June)