A Dazzling Display of Dogs
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Gr 1-5-This follow-up to A Curious Collection of Cats (Tricycle, 2009) is dazzling indeed. Each of the 34 poems features a different animal, most of them engaged in true dog behavior. From farting in the car to wheezing and snoring while sleeping, these pups are funny and lovable even when they're being annoying. The verses and the book's design are beautifully matched. In "Emmett's Ode to His Tennis Ball," the text is enclosed in a circle held firmly in the dog's mouth. It begins, "Slobbery, sloppy, slimy, sphere-oh, tennis ball, I hold you dear...." Like the poems, the pictures are funny and dynamic. The pages are definitely full, yet careful use of color, typeface, and detail means they never look chaotic. A note says the pictures were started in pencil and then finished using monoprints and Adobe Photoshop. Overall, a delight for kids, their adults, and maybe even their beloved canine companions.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
FRANCO, Betsy. A Dazzling Display of Dogs. illus. by Michael Wertz. unpaged. CIP. Tricycle. Jan. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-58246-343-8; RTE $19.99. ISBN 978-1-58246-387-2. LC 2010018014.
