Twinky the dinky dog by Kate Klimo, illustrated by Michael Fleming

Twinky is tired of being treated like a toy dog. He wants to be a big dog and do big dog things. But can he convince the big dogs that he's not a dinky dog?

The basic plot is not a new one - there are plenty of books about little fancy dogs wanting to be treated like big dogs - but the mischievous rhymes and delightful illustrations make this a stand-out treatment of the classic plot.

The rhymes are interspersed among the normal easy reader text as Twinky goes from being a big dog only in his own head to being accepted by the other big dogs and finally by his owner. There's also a nice and very subtle lesson; although the other dogs initially laugh at them, they also welcome him and teach him big-dog rules once he explains what he wants. In other words, the other dogs judge him by his actions, not by his size.

Fleming's illustrations are a nice fit for the story with lots of blocky and colorful shapes. Although the art is simple, there's enough detail included, especially in Twinky's face and ears, to illustrate the emotions he's going through. They're also super cute!

Verdict: This is a fun new easy reader that will make a great addition to any easy reader collection. Kids who like funny stories and dogs will pick this one up and I'd also suggest it to parents looking for titles to gently teach kids about not judging by appearances and welcoming kids who are different.

ISBN: 9780307976673; Published May 2013 by Random House; Review copy provided by the publisher; Purchased for the library