Best in Show
PreSchool-Grade 2—Gem, a Standard Poodle puppy, was born to be a champion, and his owner, Abby, is going to be there for every prance and primp along the way to help him reach his "Best in Show" potential. Gem's coming-of-age story on the show circuit is more of a how-to for raising a champion than a story of a girl and her dog, and while it revolves around the high-stakes world of dog showing, there is little doubt that a perfect pup raised step-by-step in the perfect way will end up the winner at the end. Pencil and watercolor wash illustrations show the details of training a show dog. The instructional tone lets up a bit with the handler twisting his ankle at the big show, giving Abby a chance to take the ring with Gem and save the day. This is the kind of nail-biting action that readers will wish had pervaded the entire story, but ultimately the subject matter is too specialized for general interest.—Sarah Townsend, Norfolk Public Library, VA(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.