Chester Barkingham saves the country

This frolicsome book begins and ends with a portrait gallery of some of our former presidents' dogs, including Fido Lincoln, King Tut Hoover, and Sunny Obama. The First Dog featured here, though, is a fictional rescue dog adopted by a fictional Black woman president and her ebullient daughter. The story is told entirely via presidential memos that appear on the page amid the increasingly chaotic, comic action. The president tries to get her staff used to Chester's antics, to get Chester better trained, and to pass a crucial rubber-band bill. Meanwhile, Chester starts affixing sticky notes onto the president's memos, training the staff to nap and have treats. The end memo is an invitation from the president to a pizza party, stating that people respond to positive reinforcement, too. The digital illustrations are buoyant and filled with funny details. The memos, which often use formal, bureaucratic language, may be difficult to understand for the suggested age group, but the boisterous scenes carry it.

The phrase "wag the dog" aptly describes the hijinks that follow the arrival of a canine White House "staff member" in this energetic epistolary tale. Told through presidential memos appended with sticky notes from first dog Chester Barkingham, the story opens with a sunglasses-wearing agent driving Chester home to the president and first daughter Molly. Upon encountering a government divided by the Rubber Band Bill, the canny canine takes steps to reach a resolution. Via sticky note, Chester playfully suggests that there's "TOO MUCH REAL FITING/ NEED MORE PLAY FITING," and offers up a rope so Congress can engage in a literal tug-of-war. While Molly frolics with the new pet and the president issues increasingly urgent memos, Chester bridges divides by introducing naps, food, and fun to lawmakers. In fluid, character-driven illustrations, Byrne's floppy-eared protagonist proves a savvy leader who believes in the role of positive reinforcement (and pizza). The president and first daughter are portrayed with brown skin; background characters are shown with various skin tones. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)