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Synopsis
When May was little, she begged and pleaded for a dog. Now that she’s all grown up, she’s finally got him. Julian is a big-eared, high-spirited farm dog, whose job is to chase groundhogs out of the garden. In fact, Julian chases anything that moves, from cars to the neighbor’s horse. And he also chases May’s gentle black cat Victoria, and her kitten Ricky Rainbow, who scramble for safety whenever Julian appears. But one day Julian proves that he really is a good dog, a hero in fact, and May, Victoria, and Ricky Rainbow can really count him part of their family.
Publishers Weekly
This picture book reads more like a dog's biography than fiction. The female narrator tells of her once-peaceful life on a farm with her two cats Victoria and Rocky Rainbow. Because the groundhogs were eating all the vegetables, she acquired a dog, named Julian, to chase them. But Julian chased everything: groundhogs, the cats, even his owner's car down bumpy roads. After nearly drowning in a well, Julian became more docile, but he still chased the cats. Only when one cat was lost (and Julian tracked him down) did the narrator's life once again become serene. Khalsa ( Tales of a Gambling Grandma , My Family Vacation ) expands her perspective in this newest book. In her other titles, each picture is like a portrait of a particular moment; in this one, the action unwinds across the top of a spread and then hurls back along the bottom. Her colors and patterns, as usual, are boldly harmonious--strong images overlap and collide, creating surprising images of exceptional verve. Ages 6-8. (Sept.)