I am the longest dog

Lucy is the longest dog. Her bottom starts on the front page, and her body, well, it just keeps going. Past stretch limos and blue whales (and stretch limos made for blue whales), through cars, across human laps, over mountains and deserts and oceans, until she finally stops--only to find herself face-to-face with her own bottom because she has traveled all the way around the world. The premise is simple, but it's very well delivered. The suspense and hinted expectation that every page turn may reveal Lucy's head does not get old and, in fact, provides some solid laughs when Lucy punks her readers. The artwork is uncomplicated in its color scheme, detail, and execution, which serves the story well and allows for the text to take the lead, which it does in a first-person narrative and interactive, conversational style that will effortlessly invite participation with young audiences, giving the book great read-aloud appeal for teachers, caregivers, and dog-loving librarians alike.

Lucy the dog enjoys describing just how long she is. "This is where I start," she notes, opposite an illustration of doggy rear end, two hind legs, and a tail. Her body, which is white, with brown spots, extends across a bright blue background--and beyond. "I keep going, too." The furry body (no feet, just fur and spots) spans the whole double-page spread: "I'm telling you: I am a very long dog." If a dog told a joke it would probably have this same goofy energy and good humor but no punchline in sight. It might go on, and on, as long as someone was listening. Lucy demonstrates that she is longer than a stretch limousine, a blue whale, and a "stretch limo for the big blue whale." She can't fit in doghouses or go for car rides or sit on laps. She goes to great lengths (ha, ha) to prove that, indeed, she is the longest dog. The single visual joke bridges the turn of many pages before reaching Lucy's head with its friendly doggy grin and slightly floppy ears. Pretty silly and pretty funny--if a bit short on plot, Lucy's tale is nevertheless long on amusing hyperbole. She certainly IS the longest dog, and a final, unfolding spread drives home exactly how long she is. A cheerful, good-humored bit of a stretch. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.