Eschew A Chew? Shoe Dog by Megan McDonald

DOG WANTED A HOME. A REAL HOME.
A PLACE FULL OF HUNDREDS OF NOSE KISSES,
DOZENS OF TUMMY RUBS.
A PLACE AS WARM AS SOUP AND COZY AS PIE.

A woman chooses a homeless dog from the "place of sad puppies," and takes him home with her, all the way telling him how cute he is. It seems like a pet adoption made in heaven.

And they have one thing in common. They both love shoes.

She, Herself, loves to buy them and wear them. Dog loves to chew them.

He loves them all. Before his new water dish is even empty, he destroys dressy high heels, plain pumps, strappy sandals and three pairs of flip-flops--even a pair of sturdy boots!

"SHOE!-CHEW DOG," SHE, HERSELF, CALLED HIM.

"YOU'RE SO CUTE, BUT... "

It's time for some serious dog training. She, Herself, buys him chewy bones and squeaky toys. She exiles him to the foot of the Big Bed with only a single nose kiss.

But Shoe Dog cannot resist the lure of chewy shoes. Even the smell of new shoe boxes and the crinkly paper inside drive him wild. She Herself tries putting her replacement purchases on the top shelf of her closet, but Shoe Dog finds a way to climb up the comfy chair and chew them up, too.

She sends him to time-out in the dark basement with no Big Bed, no Cozy Covers, and with nothing at all to chew on.

But as soon as he is allowed to return to the upstairs, he cannot resist the siren song of shoes and he soon noses them out.

ANOTHER BOX. AND INSIDE WAS A BRAND-NEW PAIR OF SHOES!

SHOE DOG SETTLED DOWN IN COMFY CHAIR IN THE LAND OF UPSTAIRS TO HAVE HIMSELF A GOOD CHEW.

"BAD, BAD DOG!"

Shoe Dog gets it that he's on the verge of a return to the Land of Sad Puppies, Scratched-up Cats, and One-Eared Bunnies! For a while he's on the no-chew wagon.

But as he's snoozing one day in the kitchen, he hears She, Herself, upstairs, and the irresistible sound of noisy, crinkly paper. When all is quiet, he sneaks upstairs, and spots on the shelf a shiny shoe store bag, bound to have a box of new shoes inside. Will Shoe Dog succumb to the urge to chew? Or has She, Herself, found a pair that Shoe Dog will love but never demolish?

Megan McDonald, famous creator of the many Judy Moody books, has a story as irresistible as a shoebox to her footwear junky main character, in her brand-new Shoe Dog (Atheneum Books, 2014), a shaggy doggy tale with frustration, chuckles, pathos, and love. Illustrator Katharine Tillotson's crayon and charcoal new puppy, created with a spiral line resembling a coiled spring, gives her shaggy dog story an energetic joie de vivre that makes Shoe Dog as lovable as he is exasperating. With simple but imaginative use of line and page design, Tillotson's art adds immeasurably to this evocative story of puppy love. This one is definitely a keeper! Publishers Weekly hands out a gold star and coos, "Anyone who’s ever loved a goodhearted but ill-behaved dog will want to eagerly adopt this book."