I’m a Baked Potato!

“You’re my little baked potato,” the lady in this story coos at her new brown terrier, inspired both by his appearance and her favorite food. The endearment soon morphs into the dog’s actual name, which is all well and good until owner and dog are accidentally separated. Alone in the big wide world, Baked Potato begins to realize that maybe he’s not a baked potato after all. But what is he? A big mean dog insists he’s a groundhog; a hungry fox sees a delicious bunny. It takes a wise, protective owl to explain to Baked Potato that he is actually a dog, that dogs “are very good at finding things, especially with their noses,” and that home and his beloved owner are well within reach. Most readers will be well acquainted with the improbable nicknames people come up with for their pets (not to mention their favorite people), and if Primavera (Auntie Claus) stretches that idea a little thin by having the hound conflate his nickname with reality, the perky protagonist, swooping digital ink lines, and bright colors by Medina (Juana and Lucas) should be engaging enough to see the story through to its happy ending by a cozy fire. Ages 3–5. [em](May) [/em]