Ten Silly Dogs

What a day these dogs have! There's running, knocking over garbage cans, digging, and even snacking from a friendly hot dog vendor. But dogs being dogs, they're easily distracted, and as the day wears on, the spirited pack is reduced one by one: ""Eight silly dogs are/ racing through a lot./ If one lies down 'cause he's too hot,/ then there are seven racing through a lot."" By the end of the day, one dirty, tired dog is all that remains, and as the book closes he's receiving a much-needed bath from his young mistress. Working in crisp-looking spreads with plenty of white space, Flather (Just Dog) creates 10 very different canine characters. They range in size and appearance from Labrador-ish to Pekinese-like, but they all share that goofy, wide-eyed, one-track-mind countenance that dog owners of all ages will instantly recognize and chuckle over. Bold, blocky numbers within bright red boxes feature prominently in each vignette to insure that the audience keeps an accurate doggy census. Flather's rhyming text feels a bit blunt, meter-wise, but that's a minor quibble for a book that is a rollicking tribute to a dog's life. Ages 2-5. (Sept.)