Bad Dog

“Look what I got for my birthday!” says Boldt’s (Thunder Trucks) deep-in-denial protagonist and narrator. “A pet dog!” Readers will immediately note that the girl is actually clutching a cat, who is throwing some serious side-eye at her new owner. As excited as the child is to have a pet, she has already deemed Rocky a “bad dog”: the cat, naturally, won’t come when she’s called, refuses to socialize with other dogs (instead making a beeline for a tree), and views the prospect of a bath with abject, albeit humorous, feline horror. Gradually, the girl sheds her frustrations and starts seeing Rocky’s advantages (for one, she “doesn’t have accidents on the floor,” preferring to use a potted plant); with a little snuggling and purring, it’s finally acknowledged that “Rocky would make a pretty great cat.” Boldt’s sculptural characterizations and broad visual humor are a powerful comedy delivery mechanism, and while there’s never really any doubt about a détente, it’s fun to be a spectator at this battle of wills between the imperious Rocky and her gap-toothed, bobble-headed owner. Ages 3–7. [em]Agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Nov.) [/em]