Chick 'n' Pug

September 13, 2010
This story about friendship will resonate with children who find their heroes in unlikely places. A small yellow chick sets off to find the kind of excitement seen in his favorite book, The Adventures of Wonder Pug! When he meets a barrel-chested pug who's more interested in sleeping than adventure, Chick still thinks he is "magnificent." Much of the book's humor revolves around Chick's misinterpretations of the dog's actions. When Pug yawns, Chick is "aflutter with excitement. ‘Let the adventure begin!' " And when the pug tears at the striped sweater his owner has saddled him with, Chick is the ultimate cheerleader: "Look at him go! He must have trained vigorously to bear such an opponent!" Sattler (Sylvie) is particularly adept with the characters' facial expressions. Chick is determined, baffled, surprised; Pug is long-suffering, worried, grateful. When a placid cat, Mr. Snuggles, intrudes and Pug continues to sleep ("Clearly Pug's strategy was to play dead"), the bird enters the heroic fantasy he's created, chasing the cat away with a "WOOF!" and crowing, "Mr. Snuggles didn't count on Wonder Pug having a sidekick, did he?" Ages 3–6.