Bad Dog Flash

PreS-Gr 1—Every time Flash the puppy tries to spice up his life (chasing the cat, chewing shoes, tearing the laundry from the line), he is sternly admonished by his mostly off-page humans. After this almost irrepressible pup sadly settles down, his enthusiasm is rekindled when he is cuddled by the little girl who owns him. The text is mostly composed of short rhythmic word pairs ("Still cat,/dull cat./Fast cat,/fun cat./Run, cat!") followed by the inevitable refrain, "Bad dog, Flash." The pencil and watercolor illustrations have plenty of white space to frame the action and highlight the scruffiness of the dog. Emerging readers can easily read the text on their own, and children will love chanting the refrain when the book is shared in a group storytime or one-on-one. Flash will appeal not just to canine lovers but also to all children who love an underdog.—Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI