School Library Journal Review

PreS-K-Each day of the week, Abby dresses up to assume an exciting identity. The pup's equally imaginative mother welcomes these fancy flights, each time exclaiming, "Just what I need," and then makes use of the experiment of the day. When Abby is a pirate, she and mom "swab the decks." When she announces that she is a witch, they concoct a delicious brew called soup. On Sunday, when Abby is herself, her mother's response remains the same, with a cuddle for good measure. Glenn's descriptive text and use of onomatopoeia provide an ideal read-aloud. A "Yee-haw!" on the cowgirl page and three wishes when Abby's a genie will keep youngsters guessing what this engaging dog will try next. Hirao's collage and colored-pencil art, expressed on a variety of paper surfaces, alternates stark views as Abby introduces a costume, followed by busy scenes of her imagination and the real-life labors. A view of "rounding up livestock" (two escaped hamsters) is especially comic. Young listeners will take pleasure in finding Abby's lithe black cat, which appears in the larger scenes. There's something to please nearly everyone in this tale.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.