Don’t Eat Bees (Life Lessons from Chip the Dog) by Dev Petty

Abstract

Reviewed by: Don’t Eat Bees (Life Lessons from Chip the Dog) by Dev Petty Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Petty, Dev Don’t Eat Bees (Life Lessons from Chip the Dog); illus. by Mike Boldt. Doubleday, 2022 [32p] Library ed. ISBN 9780593433133 $20.99 Trade ed. ISBN 9780593433126 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593433140 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 3-7 yrs Self-proclaimed smart dog Chip knows lots of things, but he’s specifically an expert on what to eat and what not to eat. Socks, yes, bees no. Important papers “like the ones the small persons work on when they finally come home after forever” are definitely meant to be chewed on; again, bees, not so much. Thanksgiving dinner, Grandpa’s teeth, the cat’s food, all are just waiting and ready to be eaten; stay away [End Page 226] from bees, though, and probably lemons and fire, but Mittens the cat has been telling Chip good things about cactuses. Clever, irreverent humor keeps this from becoming a one-note joke, and Chip’s gleeful narration has an edge of snark that avoids total buffoonery (“Cats are awfully self-important for animals who poop in a box”). Quick jumps in perspective, painterly textures, and a dominating focus on Chip’s frenzied antics call up Shannon’s No, David! (BCCB 9/98), and this absolutely ensures a lively storytime. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois