From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K–Emma, a Beagle-like mutt, feels that she is sorely unappreciated and misunderstood by her owner, George, who yells at her for sleeping on the sofa, barking to communicate with the dog next door, and getting into the garbage. The demoralized Emma goes to the library to e-mail the canine advice columnist who writes Ask Queenie for the
Weekly Bone. Several electronic exchanges result in several suggestions, but George continues to find fault. Queenie then advises getting a job, and Emma auditions for an actor's role that requires lying on the couch–something she knows she's good at. Before she can think, she's whisked out of town with the traveling theater troupe. While she becomes a big star, she can't help but wonder whether or not her owner misses her. When they are reunited, George's joy is evident–until Emma manages to lock him out of his truck and chews on his hat. But absence has made the heart grow fonder, and they've now agreed to put up with one another. Children will find humor in Emma's trip to the library to use the computer, identify with her on those days when she can't seem to do anything right, and experience relief that George loves her no matter what. Colorful, action-filled cartoon art, often featuring several panels per page, accompanies the brief text.
–Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Emma, a peppy brown-and-white dog lives with a painter, George, and his cat. Although usually they get along, tensions do arise. George doesn't like the way Emma barks, gets into the trash, and messes up his painting. In desperation, Emma turns to Queenie, a doggy-advice columnist in the
Weekly Bone. Queenie has lots of good suggestions (always ending with the admonition, "Keep that tail wagging"), but whether she advises Emma to keep George's spirits up, to work around the house, or to take a job as an actor, Emma finds there are always unintended consequences. This is a delightful romp, and Christelow shows Emma's story off to great advantage in an oversize format with comic-book-style watercolor art featuring dogs, cats, and people popping out of the pictures' borders. And along with all the silly fun, there are also some heartfelt messages about friendship and the bond between animals and their human companions. --
Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
