BENNY

This cheery picture story, first published in the Netherlands, features a young dog reminiscent of Gene Zion’s Harry. Benny is white with black ears and a red collar, and he can’t find his bone. Turns out he has lost his sense of smell, and the doctor’s diagnosis of a cold lands him in bed for a couple days. Mom provides the necessary TLC, and all turns out well. A familiar situation for the preschool set, this should prove popular in story hour. Text is brief and sentences are short. From the inviting cover picture, framed with bones, that shows Benny sniffing in a field of red poppies, to the end where he’s snuggling in mom’s lap, the cartoon-style illustrations are lively, expressive, and full of humorous touches. Generous white space, endpapers decorated with white bones, and a beginning-to-read print size that looks hand-printed add to the appeal. Scenes range from two to three vignettes per page to a double spread of Benny breathing into an enormous “Sniff Machine.” Pure fun. No bone to pick here. (Picture book. 2-5)