The Unwelcome Surprise

March 1, 2023
Can a dog adapt to changes? Bongo the pup has daily routines: He rolls out of bed, wanders to his plant, sits on his favorite chair, sniffs his stinky carpet, then trots to the kitchen for breakfast. But this morning, an odd-looking object is in his way. Plus, there's stuff on his chair, Mom hasn't served breakfast, and the family has gathered around the new items. What's up--and will these new things turn his life upside down? Protesting barks result in shushes, and when Bongo pees on "the thing," he ends up in timeout. But then Mom feeds him a delayed breakfast, and he discovers his earlier fears were baseless. Afterward, Dad presents a surprise--a new baby. Guess who loves it? The baby won't be a surprise to readers, for whom pictorial clues have been provided. This sweet story doesn't add anything new to the canon about adapting to new family "interlopers," but it's charming and honest, and props to it for acknowledging that pets deserve reassurance, as do older siblings, when new babies come along. The brown-skinned family adapts cleverly to show expressive Bongo he won't be supplanted by the newcomer. The colorful digital illustrations are warm, lively, and unfussy; children will enjoy identifying the telltale items signifying that an infant lives in this household. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Babies and dogs--no unwelcome surprises there. A bouncy story young readers will relate to and appreciate. (Picture book. 3-7)

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