Katie and the Puppy Next Door
Katie is a spotted terrier, perfectly happy at home with her young owner, Sara Ann, and the three cats who also reside there. Then a new neighbor, Elizabeth, comes over with a fat dachshund named Ruby. In the blink of an eye, Ruby is playing with the cats, eating Katie’s kibble, even chewing Katie’s squeaky bone. Katie is beside herself: “The cats are MY friends, not hers!” Sara Ann explains the concept of sharing to Katie, who, good dog that she is, tries to ignore Ruby’s breaches the next time the dog comes over. Finally, unable to hold in her feelings a moment longer, she grabs the chewy bone. A tug-of-war ensues that leads to friendship and proves maybe sharing makes sense after all. Many children will enjoy this at a surface level, but some will make the connection about sharing incidents in their own lives. Either way, this is a simple yet effective story enhanced by pen-and-watercolor illustrations that have the right blend of humor and pathos. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Ilene Cooper