Chaos erupts in the canine classroom when rambunctious Aggie attends obedience training. When Aggie is expelled from dog school, Ben tries to independently teach his pet, but neighborhood distractions overwhelm the pooch. Active Aggie won't sit or stay until the boy finally pays heed to his blind neighbor'sadvice and substitutes playing fetch for rigid commands. Ben proves to be the responsible pet parent in the anticipated conclusion when he maturely announces,"You are not a bad dog. But you must learn." Slightly more complex in sentence structure and narrative than its predecessor (Aggie and Ben, 2006), this three-chapter story comically explores the budding friendship between a rowdy pet and her young owner. Dormer's exaggerated angular designs capture the frenzy in calculatedly disproportionate cartoons. Pen-and-ink and watercolors combine thin lines and bold colors to energize Aggie's antics. While undisciplined, Aggie is one lovable pup; with a slight turn of her large head and a flip of her lopsided ears, she demonstrates why dogs are known as children's best friends.

"Aggie is a good dog," says her young owner, Ben, the narrator of this beginning reader. What Ben means by "good," however, isn't what most people mean by "good": lively Aggie is a disaster in obedience school and quadrupedal chaos when training at home. Just when it seems that Aggie's completely uncontrollable, Ben find the secret to teaching her manners. Though the story is a little one-note, Ries adds dimension with nice touches, such as Ben's friendly blind neighbor, who gives him some dog-training guidance; there's also a useful doggy truth in the solution, which is that different things motivate different dogs (it turns out Aggie's successful reinforcement is ball-chasing rather than treat-getting). As with Milgrim's My Dog, Buddy, reviewed above, dog training, with its repeated commands, proves to be an excellent subject for a restricted vocabulary text, and the book uses structure and repetition to build the humor. The line and watercolor art is exhilaratingly different from the usual early reader fare, with a touch of angry-child style in the scrawled faces and weird yet appealing blockiness in bodies of people and dog (Aggie is a veritable rectangle-fest). Novice readers will find this a fetching outing indeed.

This early chapter book about a disobedient dog has plenty of humor and charm. Ben experiences a ton of trouble with his feisty friend, Aggie. While her antics are not particularly original, they will capture the interest of young readers, especially dog lovers. After the canine is dismissed from obedience school, the boy embarks on a training program of his own, determined to teach his pet to sit and stay. But Aggie chases a squirrel and a cat, and she goes wild in a hat store when she interprets her own image in a three-way mirror as three other dogs. Blind Mr. Thomas understands Aggie and advises patience. The quirky cartoon illustrations are delightful. For independent reading, this title works well with Maggie Stern's Singing Diggety (Scholastic, 2001). For a read-aloud unit on well-behaved and incorrigible canines, consider using Aggie with John Grogan's Bad Dog, Marley! (HarperCollins, 2007), Barbara M. Joosse's Bad Dog School (Clarion, 2004), and Lois Ehlert's Wag a Tail (Harcourt, 2007).

This sequel to the acclaimed Aggie and Ben finds a boy and his dog at odds with one another. The rambunctious Aggie flunks out of obedience school and ignores Ben’s commands in favor of chasing a squirrel, cat and grasshopper. The boy gets dog-training tips from a kindly, blind neighbor, who tells him that Aggie will learn but “it will take time.” The story is especially believable in the scene that follows: Aggie acts up yet again, and Ben loses his temper. But then he apologizes and begins once more to patiently teach her to SIT and STAY. This lively book for emerging readers delivers its lessons subtly and with humor. Through pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, Frank Dormer brings the duo to life. He is especially skilled at portraying the gamut of Ben’s emotions, from anger to shame to pride.

Appetizer: A wonderful transition from picturebooks to early readers, Good Dog, Aggie shares the story of a young boy, Ben, and his dog, Aggie. Since Aggie doesn't listen to Ben (and actually does eat his homework despite being told no), Ben decides to take her to obedience school at the pet shop. But soon the teacher decides Aggie and the boy may be too disruptive for the class. So, it's up to Ben to train Aggie on his own.

I like the way this early reader is set up. Small pictures often break up the text, preventing young readers from becoming too frustrated by the increased amount of text.

The illustrations are childlike. Often geometric shapes are used to form the bodies and faces of the characters, serving as a guide for how kids can create their own illustrations.

Colors and senses are intermixed throughout the story. Something sounds green. Something else smells orange. I found this phrasing very interesting.

While many dog lovers will enjoy this book, I have to admit a six-year-old version of myself wouldn't find this story very interesting. But that's me. I realized from a young age that I was more of a fantasy-minded reader.

Dinner Conversation:

"Aggie is a good dog.
She runs fast.
She is a good eater.
But she does not listen."

"You are a good dog, Aggie,
but you do not obey."

"Aggie runs.
She runs under one dog.
She jumps over another dog.
Now all the dogs run. They run and bark.
The treats fly up, up up."

"Do not eat the grasshopper, Aggie."
Aggie sniffs. The grasshopper jumps.
Aggie jumps, too!
"Silly Aggie, " I say, "grasshoppers are not for you."

To Go with the Meal:

I really like that Aggie is "good" from the very beginning of the story. It's a nice reminder that a dog (or a person) is still good even though they make mistakes from time to time.

This would be an excellent early reader to share with new dog owners. Good Dog, Aggie show the process a young owner will go through to train their dog to obey. It shows how gradual and frustrating school can be. And I use the word "school" in that last sentence very intentionally. Aggie's struggles are relatable to children who may be having trouble in school. As with Aggie, this kids often need to be reminded that they're worth more than the grades they receive in class.

Ben has a dog called Aggie, whom he loves very much. She is a wonderful pet except for the fact that Aggie “does not listen.” Aggie steals Ben’s homework, she does not come when she is called, and she does not know how to “sit.” Ben decides that the solution to the problem is a simple one. Aggie needs to go to school.

At her first session at school, Aggie figures out how to sit, but when she is asked to stay Aggie loses control. In fact Aggie causes such a disruption in the class that soon all the dog students are running around and barking. Ben tries to teach Aggie how to stay when they are at home, but Aggie won’t listen to her little master.

In this charming Aggie and Ben title, Ben and his dog Aggie face new challenges as Ben tries to teach his beloved pet some manners. Ben learns that it is not easy to train a dog, and Aggie learns that being a “good dog” is a good thing for Ben and for her.

With three little chapters, loveable characters, and humorous illustrations, this is perfect title for beginner readers.

Whether you have a dog as a member of your family or a child who yearns for one, these recent picture books celebrate the bond these pets have with their best friends.

• When Lucy Goes Out Walking by Ashley Wolff (Holt, $16.99), follows the first year of a puppy's life. Month by month, readers watch Lucy grow from a pup in January to a full-grown dog in December. In between, she goes out walking with her boy — flying kites in April, watching stars in July, visiting the playground in September. Wolff's colorful double-page illustrations of each month's activities complement the brief, repetitive verse. Great for preschoolers and early elementary-age kids who are learning about the months of the year, as well as for any child who loves dogs.

• Good Dog, Aggie by Lori Ries (Charlesbridge, $12.95), does double duty as a picture book and an early-reader. Three brief stories cover Ben's attempt to train Aggie, who is a good dog but does not listen. "Sit" and "stay" are foreign concepts to her, so Ben takes her to doggie school. No progress is made there, but a conversation with a neighbor in the park gives Ben the key to motivating Aggie. Humorous cartoon-style watercolor illustrations by Frank W. Dormer capture the full range of emotions in the story, from frustration to contentment.

• Dogs by Emily Gravett (Simon and Schuster, $15.99), is a love story, plain and simple. The first page, with an illustration of a leash, dish and ball, proclaims, "I love dogs." The unseen narrator continues "I love big dogs and small dogs. I love tough dogs and soft dogs." Each phrase gets its own page with a charming, expressive illustration. A Great Dane with a Chihuahua between his paws illustrates "I love big dogs and small dogs," while a mutt standing on an overturned garbage can watching a pink poodle stroll by illustrates "shabby and chic dogs." The absence of any background in the pictures puts our attention on the dogs. And just who is our unseen dog lover? The surprise ending will make you laugh.