Smarter Than Squirrels (Down Girl and Sit Series)
Grade 1-3–In brief chapters, a pet dog describes how she guards her backyard against dangerous squirrels and thieving birds and chats through the fence with her canine neighbor, Sit. Down Girl loves to wake up her master before the scary alarm clock goes off and also attempts to keep the yard clear of things attractive to birds by eating everything in sight. The two pooches have adventures involving a neighboring cat, a gate that is accidentally left open, and dreaded pet-sitters. Down Girl continually maintains that dogs don't lie, have big brains, and know how to protect their owners. Reed's humorous black-and-white illustrations add to the charm of this transitional chapter book by showing the human's frustration in dealing with his sometimes naughty, but always well-meaning dog. Animal lovers will enjoy this offering, and teachers can use it as a writing model for point-of-view stories.–Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.