HOW TO BEHAVE AT A DOG SHOW
by Madelyn Rosenberg ; illustrated by Heather Ross
Siblings Julia and Charles take their bulldog, Rexie, to a dog show in this sequel to How to Behave at a Tea Party (2014).
Older sister Julia presents an official entry form for the dog show on the story’s opening page and then tries to prepare for the show, beginning with a bath for Rexie. The text offers dryly humorous rules for dog-show handlers, with each suggestion counteracted by rambunctious Rexie and the equally boisterous younger brother. Mischief erupts on multiple fronts, ranging from squirts of blue hair dye to squirts from a skunk and, at the show itself, stolen shoes and an upset trophy display. Julia and Charles are joined by a pair of misbehaving, identical twin boys, and eventually all four children capture runaway Rexie and take him home for their own unstructured dog show with just one entry. Digitally produced illustrations have the look of loose watercolors with ink details, incorporating lots of high-spirited action and amusing animal antics. Several pages are confusing in the layout of the illustrations, using multiple vignettes without clear definition of flow.
An entertaining but somewhat frantic tale, illustrating that homemade fun often wins over “official” competition.
(Picture book. 4-8)