My Dream Dog [Hardcover]

Arthur Howard brings humor and heart to this sweet tale about a boy and his canine best friend.

A little boy knows just about everything about his beloved dog, Scooter. He knows when Scooter is hungry and when he wants to play and when he is dreaming. But what does Scooter dream about? The boy’s friends and family have all different ideas. But Grandpa may have thebestidea of all.Arthur Howard is the illustrator of Goatilocks and the Three Bears by Erica S. Perl, Noodle & Lou by Liz Garton Scanlon, the Mr. Putter and Tabby series and Gooseberry Park books by Cynthia Rylant, and his own picture books. He has also coauthored and illustrated many books of humor for adults and appeared for seven seasons in the PBS math-oriented production Square One Television. He lives in New York City.A young boy speculates about the dream life of his dog, Scooter. The nameless narrator knows just what makes his canine companion tick, and he fills readers in, expounding on Scooter’s likes and dislikes and what the dog’s behavior signifies. But when it comes to what the pooch dreams about, the boy is stumped. His friends and family weigh in. Maybe Scooter dreams about chasing things, suggests the boy’s big brother. Perhaps he fantasizes about going to school, says the boy’s friend. The narrator’s grandpa offers a predictable yet sweet guess, and the tale ends on this tender moment. The watercolors have a gentle, old-fashioned feel; with their thick lines and soothing, homey scenes, these cartoon images are reminiscent of Howard’s illustrations for Cynthia Rylant’s “Mr. Putter and Tabby” books. The childlike scrawl of the text is particularly endearing. The story is light on action but high on the adorable factor. Lovably scruffy Scooter, his tongue lolling, his head cocked to one side, is irresistible; he and his boy are a winsome pair. The simple text, presented in a large fol£$