CLYDEO VERSUS PEANUT BUTTER

In actor and dog lover Aniston’s latest, a floppy-furred foodie is rendered incommunicado by a vexing new ingredient.

In Clydeo Takes a Bite out of Life (2024), the adorable sheepdog pup discovered his passion: whipping up delectable dishes. Now his family members, their many faces shaggily half-hidden, ask the young baker for peanut-butter cookie treats. Kitchen-confident Clydeo gets to work. Thinking it prudent to taste the new ingredient before using it, he gulps down a huge spoonful, only to find his mouth glued shut. Speechless, he attempts to convey his predicament to his baffled relatives, by pointing, grunting, miming, and drawing—to no avail. A note is equally useless: His handwriting is illegible. But Mom sees the jar and (of course) guesses the situation. Can she help him? She offers milk, but, unable to swallow, he pours milk over himself. Happily, a straw does the trick! Now everyone has just one final question: “Where are our peanut butter cookies?” Clydeo isn’t bothered. He’ll bake again—but now it will be sugar cookies! Peanut butter has stymied many a young foodie, and readers will cheer for a solution as the pages fly past. The anthropomorphic but cartoon-cute dogs animate every page, and pale teal backgrounds make even those pages not in multiple colors appear fresh and vibrant.

More feel-good, food-themed fare with this irrepressible canine hero.