The Trouble with Children (According to Dog)(The Trouble with Children #1)

A canine rhymes its way through a series of observations about its household’s resident kids in Weaver and Soylu’s knowing portrait of family life. “Families are overrated!/ Wait—let me explain!// The grown-ups are okay,/ I guess, but children?/ They’re insane!” the speaker declares, itemizing slights that include overzealous squeezes, yanked fur, and more. As the children’s indistinct forms loom menacingly in the doorway, the dog’s proclamations reach a pinnacle (“I don’t think I can take this torture”). A long head-scratch ushers in a dramatic perspective reversal, forcing the pooch to acknowledge the youths’ acceptably affectionate behaviors. Rendered digitally, grainy earth-toned artwork portrays the canine protagonist as an oversize mauve creature. Even amid the complaints, the pale-skinned humans’ adoration for the hound shines through, spotlighting common kid-pet dynamics. Suggestions for dog interactions conclude. Publishing simultaneously: The Trouble with Children (According to Cat). Ages 4–8. (Nov.)