Puppy!

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 8, 2017

Review

Trog is a cave boy who has the best toys, such as sticks and mud, be he really, really wants a puppy. He finds what he thinks is a puppy and brings it home. But the puppy is sad and nothing Trog does makes him happy. Then a BIG "puppy" shows up and takes Trog's puppy away. It turns out Trog had stolen a baby alligator-like creature from his mother, and that's why he was sad. Trog then goes out and finds what he thinks is a kitty.

The book does not succeed in being the humorous tale that it sets out to be. The book text doesn't explain the baby/mother concept, so it requires quite a bit of skill with contextual clues, which seems too mature a concept for this age group. Some pages are set up like an early comic book, which could add to the confusion of the storyline for toddlers. This book is a swing and a miss.

Overall Book Score: fair