Don't Trust Cats

November 1, 2023
A very good, very smart dog explains how readers can be their best doggy selves. Chip, the protagonist of Don't Eat Bees (2022), is back with some more lessons. First and foremost? "Don't trust cats!" It doesn't matter if they're fluffy or stripy, big or small. But our hero assures us that there are plenty of things we can trust--like one's nose. Of course, our narrator may be a bit too trusting; Chip emphasizes that "Those birds and squirrels you try so hard to catch? You can trust them. They're laughing with you, not at you." (Readers may beg to differ.) Boldt's views of a wide-eyed pooch with a massive, shiny nose enthusiastically rolling in muck, shredding mail as it drops through a slot, and bounding up to a porcupine and then a skunk in expectation of meeting new friends steal the show. But Petty gets in quite a few good zingers, too--punctuating a tally of "trustastic" things like the fire hydrant ("It's always been there for you") and Grandpa, who may cheat at cards but always has a doggy treat ready. Don't trust the vacuum, though, advises the stubby-tailed sage, and ESPECIALLY don't trust cats: "Nohow, no meow." A sly-looking cat and an olive-skinned human family add comical background reactions to the hilariously mismatched maxims and misdeeds of this canine life coach. What a wag! (Picture book. 5-8)

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February 1, 2024

PreS-Gr 3-This follow-up to Don't Eat Bees brings more advice from Chip the dog, a noted expert on living the best life one can. Who does a very good, very smart dog trust? According to Chip, cats are the most untrustworthy of all, unless they have snacks. Squirrels and birds are trustworthy-they're laughing with dogs, not at them. Persons are "trustastic" even if sometimes they don't tell the truth, like when a trip to "the park" turns out to be the veterinarian's office. The artwork is often just as explanatory as the text in this funny book. On one page, Chip explains that criminals that come to the door should not be trusted; Boldt's exuberant scenes show two Girl Scouts trying to sell cookies and Chip in full guard-dog mode. Interpreting the pictures is a big part of the fun for readers or listeners. The sneaky cat and Chip's family show readers that maybe Chip isn't quite the expert he thinks he is. There really is no story here; this is a list of things Chip, for one, does not trust. But it's a funny, entertaining read. VERDICT A fun and exuberant picture book that lots of young readers and their grown-ups will enjoy.-Debbie Tanner

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