After reading Puss in Boots , a small, gregarious dog goes in search of fine footwear. A helpful shopkeeper has just what he wants. “But the new boots were not at all splendid or magnificent for digging ... So dog took them back to the shop.” Dog asks for something he can dig in, and the shopkeeper suggests rain boots. Perfect! But they fill up with water when dog goes for a swim. “Dog took them back to the shop.” And so it goes. The dog gets flippers for swimming, but can’t dig in them. High heels for digging, but then he can’t go fast. And the skis he tries don’t work at all—there isn’t any snow. Finally, dog recites the list of everything he’s looking for in the perfect footwear. And the shopkeeper has the perfect solution: paws! Greg Gormley’s pleasingly silly picture book story will make a terrific preschool read-aloud, and Roberta Angaramo’s appealing illustrations add to the fun. (Ages 2–5)