Dogs are people, too A collection of cartoons to make your tail wag

Gr 4-6-In this collection of one-panel comics, cartoonist Coverly hilariously combines the human and canine worlds. Most of the jokes either revolve around what happens when people are forced to live like dogs, such as the comic about a child who must wear a cone collar, since he cannot stop biting his nails, or when dogs are able to live like people, such as the comic about a shepherd dog that brings his sheep along to the beach for his "working vacation." Most of the punch lines are obvious without reading the captions, but some provide genuine laughs, like the one featuring a bright-eyed dog who notices a cat dressed as a mail carrier delivering squirrels; the caption reads, "The Day Corky's Head Exploded." Regardless of the simplicity of the jokes, kids will love each scenario, and the one-panel-per-page format makes the book extremely readable. Coverly opens each chapter with a photo and story about one of the various dogs from his own past. These segments offer a touching and humorous perspective and really help bridge the many parts of this book into a more complete narrative. VERDICT The simple format makes this book perfect for browsing.-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A large collection of dog-themed cartoons from the creator of the syndicated panel "Speed Bump," punctuated with snapshots and fond reminiscences of his own real pooches.From "My bark is worse than my bite but it's nothing compared to my breath" to "Yoga position #42: 'The Licking Dog'," the simply drawn, single-panel zingers all pay affectionate tribute to the intelligence, refreshingly candid habits and overall lovability of man's (and woman's) best friend. In general, the snarky humor isn't pitched to younger readers ("My dog is rolling in your resume," observes a job interviewer. "It's not a hopeful sign for you"), but with the possible exception of the occasional canine dressed as a dominatrix, they won't leave them completely befuddled. Along with sharing occasional memories of Shag, Kenzi and other family pets, Coverly tucks in quotes from the likes of Orhan Pamuk, perfunctory chapters of doggy "Fun Facts" and introductions to such "Amazing Dogs" as Laika and Barry, the original St. Bernard rescue dog. These read more as filler than personal notes or insights. "The secret to life is TREATS!" intones a canine yogi. With that, at least, even diapered dog devotees will concur. (Cartoons. 10-13, adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.