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Bad Dog, Marley!

Book Summary

Reviewed byDawn Friedman
Marley the dog moves in and chaos reigns. Will Marley be allowed to stay with his new family?

Is It Any Good?

3
Marley is a big, floppy, and ostensibly lovable Labrador retriever who turns the family home into chaos. Destroying glasses, eating chocolate cake on top of the refrigerator, and otherwise creating mayhem, Marley doesn't seem long for the family. While big sister Cassie and baby Louie love Marley they can't help but join their parents in a chorus of, "Bad dog, Marley!"

The book, a kid-sized version of bestselling memoir, Marley & Me, is uninspired with nice but uninteresting illustrations to match. The ending is pat and formulaic. Kids will likely cheer Marley's heroics but adults will be left yawning. And it still doesn't explain how the family learns to live with such a destructive canine.

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