Not to just flatly restate the title or anything, but Dog loves books. He loves absolutely every little thing about them: the smell, the feel, the way you become immersed in the story and completely lose track of time. And when a dog (or person) loves books like that, they feel compelled to share their love of reading with friends and family, even total strangers.
Dog follows his heart and decides to open his own bookstore. Judging by their comedic expressions, his friends are aghast at the announcement. Although Dog has put a significant amount of hard work into his grand opening, there is not a crowd of anxious customers waiting by the door as he had expected. Rather, this canine is in for a long, boring day, his body drooping across his desk. Poor, dejected Dog.
Suddenly Dog remembers that he is surrounded by the things he life he loves the most! How could he have forgotten? He fetches (har har) a book from the shelves and is instantly surrounded by a crowd of friendly dinosaurs. Dog is immediately lost in this new world and quite forgets about being alone and his lack of bookstore customers.
Although I truly loved the book, it would have been nice to see Dog's bookstore as an immediate rollicking success. But it's far more important that in spite of the initial disappointment, Dog continues to enjoy books in the way he always has and remains committed to sharing that joy with others. This is evident is the way that he takes an active role in assisting his first customer select the right books - wearing a tutu (and sweet striped tights), manning a tiny UFO and stealing an airplane ride.
Louise Yates is also responsible for the wonderful A Small Surprise.
Review copy provided by Random House.
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