Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems by Carey Sookocheff (review)

To paraphrase: “Sometimes you get the dog; sometimes the dog gets you.” For the unnamed girl and her pooch who face life’s ups and downs, sometimes the dog is the problem, and sometimes it’s the solution. When, for example, the girl is missing a shoe and has checked under the bed and behind the couch, only to find her shredded footwear dangling from her dog’s mouth, there’s not much else to do but scowl, “wear a mismatched pair,” and take the momentarily remorseful dog for a walk. However, when boredom is the problem and she’s drooping over a swing in the yard, it’s the dog who carries over a stick, a leash, and a towel, just the stuff needed to make a tent to hang out in together. Then when her winter hat is blown into a tree, a collaboratively constructed snowman is a handy ladder with which to retrieve it. Each scenario is examined in brief text, an excellent fit for emergent readers. Girl and dog perform in each short act against a backdrop with just a few seasonal color swaths and a handful of details for the setting. The dog, rendered in a few efficient Thurber-esque strokes, is remarkably expressive in both countenance and body language, and he generally steals the show from his beset companion. This is a cozy title for reading along or reading alone, for talking about, and for reading once again with a knowing nod.