The Desperate Dog Writes Again
PreSchool-Grade 1—Emma lives contentedly with her human George, a painter, and an orange cat-until she spies a woman holding his hand. She laments, "A cloud casts a shadow over my happy life." As inLetters from a Desperate Dog(Clarion, 2006), the pooch goes to the library seeking online help from "Ask Queenie." She follows the offered advice to derail the romance ("try wearing a good stinky perfume"), but neither Loretta (the alleged "kidnapper") nor her dog, Hankie, is deterred. Being on her worst behavior only lands Emma further in the doghouse. Back at the library, she discovers that Hankie has also been writing to Queenie about his problems with "an unfriendly, obnoxious, stuck-up mutt." A tumble in a Dumpster full of pizza brings the pair closer together, and when Emma realizes that Loretta is a chef she embraces the idea of her new blended family. In Christelow's comic-strip-style artwork, Emma's inner musings are revealed in thought bubbles. Readers will chuckle at the pup's flair for the melodramatic, but also relate to her feelings of jealousy and her need to belong.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.