Nelly Buchet and Andrea Zuill (Cat Dog Dog and A Friend Like No Otter) join forces again for a wonderfully silly picture book about the antics of a dog and her strawberry. While dog owners are likely to recognize some of the zaniness exhibited by Dog, every reader--experienced dog person or not--can appreciate the delightful amusement of "the greatest race of all time."
When Dog's human hands her a strawberry, the excitement ignites a case of the zoomies. "Rounding the lamp, it's Dog, spinning out of the turn, spinning still, and yes! Chasing her own tail! Just stunning!" Strawberry "impassive, doesn't take the bait." Dog upends a plant, knocks over a lamp; "Strawberry can't keep up!" A gust of wind and the re-emergence of Dog's human give the small fruit the spotlight long enough to "SPLAT!" under the human's shoe--"DOG WINS!"
The text of the book is lean, but exquisitely chosen, mimicking the breathless, animated tones of a sports commentator; Dog's only line of the story ("AWWWWOOOO!") is a howl from the belly. Zuill's playful ink and digital art perfectly complements the narration and is drawn at Dog's eye level, bringing readers into her territory. Dog's expressions and body positions are true-to-life and evidence of Zuill's intimate understanding of canines. The whimsical fonts and speech bubbles enhance the liveliness of the narration.
The energy and hilarity of Dog vs. Strawberry might not make it the best bedtime story, but that should not stop those with budding readers from racing out to find a copy of this winning picture book. --Jen Forbus, freelancer