cover image Teddy the Dog: Be Your Own Dog

Teddy the Dog: Be Your Own Dog

Keri Claiborne Boyle, illus. by Jonathan Sneider. Harper, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-238283-2

Teddy the dog, a cartoon character from a Massachusetts-based apparel line, makes his literary debut, as do his creators. A pointy-eared, sunglasses-wearing mutt, Teddy is a scamp with a clear conscience. “Folks, life is great here in Teddy-ville,” he tells readers in the opening scene, though the citizens left to deal with the mud, garbage, and excrement he’s left in his wake appear to feel otherwise. Teddy’s relaxed persona and motto, “Be your own dog,” are tested with the arrival of Penelope the cat, but Teddy gradually realizes that he and Penelope have just enough in common (including a disdain for fetching) to be effective co-conspirators. “I guess we’re both trying to be who we’re meant to be,” Teddy philosophizes as he and Penelope pilfer treats from the cookie jar. Teddy’s attempts at rapprochement and eventual respect for Penelope’s individuality offer worthy lessons, but the drawn-out story sags under the weight of meandering scenes and tired wordplay (“when life gives you a mud puddle, you just have to roll in it”). It’s more a collection of one-off gags than a sustained narrative. Ages 4–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (May)