BE MORE DOG

A beloved pup helps a kid find happiness.

Sam the dog has a superpower: happiness (“His tail NEVER stops wagging”). Sam’s young owner is feeling blue after Dad heads off to work, leaving the protagonist in Granny’s care. The child decides to follow Sam’s lead, and the two pair up and seek out happiness. They find it in the smell of the cookies Granny bakes, in Granny’s smile, and in a romp through the mud. And, of course, the biggest rush of happiness comes when Dad returns. The child narrates the story, explaining that “Happiness is all around us. Sometimes you just have to be more dog to find it.” The text is well paced for young readers, with a well-conveyed message about finding your own joy. The lively illustrations are full of movement, from the splashes of rain around the child’s bike tires to Sam’s endlessly wagging tail. Sam is an appropriately scruffy, adorable pup. The narrator, Dad, and Granny are tan-skinned, and the child is depicted using hearing aids, though this doesn’t play a role in the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A meaningful story about looking within for happiness—with a little support from our (four-legged) friends.