Pug and Doug
Despite their differences, down-to-earth Pug and imaginative Doug are canine best friends. They watch movies (and birds) together, have a secret pawshake, and can even tell when they are getting on each other’s nerves. But then an odd chain of events leads Doug to assume the worst—that Pug no longer wants to be his BFF. When the misunderstanding comes to light, Pug searches the town for his dejected pal and reveals to him the real reason for his evasive behavior: he has been hiding his birthday present for Doug—a talking parrot named Buddy. This breezy tale of friendship gets its lift from a mix of happenstance and gentle humor, with the reunited pals agreeing to avoid hurt feelings in the future by always talking things over. Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist Breen uses a soft color palette; occasional panel sequences and visual gags; and affable, childlike characters to create a quirky, canine-populated world that will appeal to a wide audience, especially boys. A stinger ending proves that Doug’s vivid imagination isn’t always out of step with reality. Preschool-Grade 1. --Kristen McKulski