Stick Dog wants a hot dog by Tom Watson

The first Tom Watson title I read was Stick Cat. It was ok, but I wasn't crazy about it. My friends all assured me that Stick Dog was much funnier and I should try that instead. I picked this one to read for the simple reason that it's falling apart and I need to replace it anyways and I had run out of books to read at lunch.

This is the second Stick Dog title. In the first, Stick Dog and his friends manage to secure hamburgers. In this title, they are after the wonderful frankfurters they have seen and smelled (yes, they're hot dogs but that's just too confusing). The dogs will have to content with crazy plans, a gang of raccoons, and one of their friends getting dognapped before they can have a chance at the delicious food.

This was funnier than Stick Cat; the tongue-in-cheek humor and Stick Dog's dichotomous character move the story along. On the one hand, Stick Dog is practical and intelligent, much smarter than his wacky friends. On the other hand, he's still a dog and obsessed with interesting smells, chasing squirrels, and above all - food!

Verdict: I can see the quirky appeal of these books now - they're just right for readers who want something silly with pictures but also more sophisticated humor than the average chapter book. I don't specifically recommend them since they're like Wimpy Kid - something you're bound to have anyways - but I think it would be fun to use them in a book club if the kids haven't already read them.

ISBN: 9780062110800; Published 2013 by HarperCollins; Purchased for the library