From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2. A young narrator conjures up various scenarios of what it would be like if his baby brother were a dog. Among other things, Andy could guard the house, play Frisbee, and stay in a little house "way, way out in the backyard." While the ideas are clever, the narrative is a bit understated and belabored. What saves this title are the sparkling illustrations that add life to the text?seeing a baby peeing side-legged into the flowers is a lot funnier than hearing, "Just think, Andy, if you were a dog, no more stinky diapers." From the overall inventiveness of the artist's vision to the humorous details added to each page, readers will be caught up in the fantasy. Using pen-and-ink and watercolor, the artist draws scenes with a light touch that adds to a feeling of free-spirited abandonment of the rules of proper behavior. While the boy may at the end be willing to keep his brother and treat him as such, it's hard to believe his active imagination will be contained for too long. This book could well spark some creative pretending in classrooms and among individual listeners.?Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MICopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Ages 4-8. In a furious fantasy, a boy imagines that his cute baby brother, Andy, is a dog, a pet that can be controlled and trained never, never, never to touch the boy's toys again. Cartoon pictures in line and watercolor show the beatific baby made to act as watchdog, locked up behind the fence while the older boy and Mom go out all by themselves. The fantasies get more and more vengeful. Baby Andy eats from a dog bowl on the floor. He could be put outside to sleep. If he gets sick, the vet could give him a shot with a huge hypodermic. He could win a prize at a dog show, and somebody might buy him, and then things would be real peaceful around the house . . . too peaceful. There is a dual satisfaction in the turnaround: children can enjoy seeing the sibling rivalry carried to ludicrous extremes; at the same time, there's the comfort that in the end the boy wants his brother around after all. Kids will laugh at the unbridled anger of the older sibling, as well as at the sweet innocence of the baby, who doesn't know his own strength. Hazel Rochman


Book Description
Andy's brother just knows life would be better if baby Andy were a dog. There'd be no more squeaky cribs, no more stinky diapers and--best of all--no more toppled towers of blocks. Life would be peaceful. But would it be too peaceful? Find out in this lively, light-hearted look at how one boy deals with a pesky baby brother.

"From the overall inventiveness of the artist's vision to the humorous details added to each page, readers will be caught up in the fantasy." --School Library Journal

* A Picture Puffin
* Full-color illustrations
* 32 pages
* Ages 4-8


Card catalog description
An older sibling imagines how much better it would be if brother Andy were a dog instead of a baby, doing tricks and being banished to the outside when he got too noisy.


About the Author
Carol Diggory Shields and Paul Meisel are the author-illustrator team that brought us I Am Really a Princess (Dutton/Puffin). Ms. Shields lives in Salinas, California and Mr. Meisel lives in Newtown, Connecticut.

FROM THE PUBLISHER