Wet Dog!

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 2-A lovable shaggy brown dog tries time and again to cool off on a hot day but is shooed away every time he finds the perfect refreshment. The rhythmic language carries readers along as the poor pooch dives under the hose of a man washing a limo, sneaks into a kitchen sink at a baker's shop, stands in front of a florist's spray bottle, and jumps into a creek where he splashes mud on some nearby men. After each dousing, "Wet dog smiled his sorry-dog smile and wagged his sorry-dog tail. Then he flapped his ears, and he sniffed the air, and he trotted off down the road...pat-a-pat, pat-a-pat, pat." Careful observers will notice that wedding preparations are being made, culminating in a lovely ceremony by the lake, where the pup inspires a group to plunge into the water. Exuberant pencil-and-watercolor illustrations practically bounce off the pages in this delightful read-aloud. Children will appreciate the silliness of the characters' reactions when wet dog shakes himself off near them. This new-on-the-scene author and veteran illustrator have scored a hit.