As simple as its title and clever from the start—the copyright page text is arranged in the shape of a bone—Gravett’s (Spells
) ode to canines riffs on a single note: “I love dogs.” Following that opening, an unseen narrator elaborates on a wide spectrum of beloved dogs. On the list are dogs large and small, ones that bark and those that don’t, dogs that are slow or fast, and those that are hairy or bald. Exemplifying the different characteristics and behaviors are portraits of various breeds (identified on the endpapers) in emotionally evocative, gently humorous poses and situations. A “chic” pink poodle sporting a jeweled collar and hair bows peers with disdain at a “shabby” pooch with matted fur, who stands on an overturned garbage can. And two small dogs wear the nervous expressions of shy children as a pair of rowdy “dogs that play” tear into a stuffed dachshund. Gravett saves the most entertaining image for last, when the narrator’s identity is revealed in a kid-pleasing finale. Ages 2–6. (Feb.)
