PANTALOON
by Kathryn Jackson and illustrated by Steven Salerno
Salerno’s lively and colorful new illustrations for a 1951 text (originally illustrated by Leonard Weisgard) show the adventures of Pantaloon, a standard poodle who “never can get enough of those delicious baked-and-iced things!” on display in the bakery. Pantaloon is a bike-riding canine with ambition: He answers the “Help Wanted” sign at the baker’s but is rebuffed, so Pantaloon, alas, is jobless until the baker has an accident inadvertently caused by his would-be helper. The apologetic pup takes on the job and “mixe[s] the icing, ice[s] the cakes, load[s] everything in the Baker’s truck and deliver[s] all the cakes and cookies in the nick of time.” Success! Now the dog, as an official assistant, is one of “the two happiest bakers in the whole world.” The story is still delicious, and the retro-styled art shows the funny actions and adventures in full openings. It should attract the delighted attention of young readers from its cake-and-cookie-decorated endpapers to the sunny-hued interior images that are so appropriately reminiscent of the old Golden Books. (Picture book. 2-5)