Dog Days: Be Gentle with the Dog, Dear! by Matthew J. Baek

"She's a precious baby... when she's asleep."

That's the honest appraisal of Matt's and Jin's dog Tag, who suffers at the hands of baby Elisa whenever she is awake. Elisa pulls Tag's tail, squeezes him too tight, tackles Tag and sits on him, and even eats his birthday dogbone biscuit. Matt and Jin demonstrate kind behavior and admonish Elisa with a soothing "Gen-tle, gen-tle!" but her idea of being gentle is making Tag miserable.

Finally it's all too much for the long-suffering Tag. Elisa takes his favorite toy bone, and Tag has had it. "Grrrrrr!" His long controlled doggy discontent comes out to his dismay in a definite growl, and Elisa lets out a loud "Waaaaaaaaaa!" which brings the parents on the double. Tag hangs his head, and the suddenly chastened Elisa contritely hands over the doggy toy.

Gen-tle, gen-tle," Elisa murmurs, as she strokes Tag softly, and the two are soon napping happily together. "She is a precious baby," Tag reflects as he dozes off.

Of course, there's still the cat, who, wary of Elisa's bright-eyed chase, knows that the baby hasn't learned to be gentle with the cat--yet.

Matt Baek's first picture book, Be Gentle With the Dog, Dear!, has appealling, laugh-out-loud illustrations of baby Elisa's too affectionate handling of the wary family pets which will bring a smile to anyone who has raised a baby and pets at the same time.