Books > Dogs

Canine fever sets in quickly: the endpapers depict a lineup of breeds you’re about to meet, the dedication is being dragged away by a mutt, and the imprint information is arrayed in the shape of a bone. So there’s no doubting Gravett’s first line when we finally reach it: “I love dogs.” The two-page spreads that follow illustrate in loving watercolor various sets of opposites: “I love slow dogs / and fast dogs. / Shabby / and chic dogs.” For big/small, Gravett shows an enormous Marmaduke look-alike nosing a tiny Chihuahua. For barking/quiet, a runt yips (illustrated effectively with multicolored dashes) while two floppy-eared larger dogs wince and paw at their ears. Most evocative are the layouts for hairy/bald (the page is obscured by the small slashes representing the floating hair of the shedding pooch) and good/bad (featuring two dogs, each holding a house slipper but with dramatically different results). Though the closing revelation that the narrator is a cat is unnecessary, this is a wonderfully warmhearted ode to four-legged friends.

— Daniel Kraus, BOOKLIST, March 15, 2010