Cone Dog

K-Gr 3–After a trip to the vet, Emma the dog has to take on an unexpected burden—the dreaded cone. Like with any dog, this unwelcome addition cramps her style. Can she tackle the challenge? As the story unfolds, Emma learns ways to not just overcome obstacles but use them to her advantage. Even though the cone seemed an impossible impediment at first, soon Emma finds that the cone, if used correctly, can actually improve her mischievous lifestyle. With the cone she can gather more toys, dig faster, and finally defeat her squirrelly nemesis. By embracing optimistic action, Cone Dog becomes far more than an amusing title. While stories about persevering in the face of trials are published often, it’s rare and wonderful to find a book in which the protagonist thrives and prospers because of the trials. The cone makes Emma’s life better—imagine that! Add in Emma’s expressive face, and the treat of finding illustration details on every page (like Keith the squirrel’s taunting antics), and this is a lesson that holds up to frequent re-reads.