Spike: Ugliest Dog in the Universe by Debra Frasier

Read this book, even if just for the pictures! Spike: The Ugliest Dog in the Universe tells the story of Spike, a dog who wins the ugliest dog award and then is abandoned by his owner. Spike is almost adopted by a boy named Joe, but Joe's mom says that it is just too expensive to have a dog. More than anything, Spike wants to avoid going to the dog pound so he enlists the help of cat to try and avoid it. Thankfully, even if he is ugly, he is a really smart dog and will manage to save himself, and someone else too!

This book is really sweet. Kids will learn that it's not what is on the outside that matters, but what is on the inside. Kids may not appreciate the illustrations as much, but adults will absolutely love them! Debra Frasier created each page using found materials, the majority of them jeans. More than once I found myself having to go back to the previous page because I had been so caught up in the images that I had forgotten to read the text (something that has never once happened to me). It's not very often that I go back and re-read picture books unless I am reading them to someone, but I think this is going to be one of those books that I'll need to revisit once in awhile. I love it!

Seriously, coolest illustrations!

Happy Reading!

-Melly