Dogs Don't Wear Sneakers (by Laura Numeroff)

The artwork takes any humor and runs with it, investing each of the critters with personality and milking each scene for all it is worth.

There is little, if anything, to say about Laura Numeroff's verse. It feels unpolished and operates purely on the level of singsong, and that slipshod sense makes it eminently forgettable. An effort is made at the end of the book to pull readers into the verbal aspect of the imaginings, but then the prose aggressively dumps kids flat: "But tell me what you see? It's your dream -- not mine!" Why the question mark appears after the word see is anyone's guess.

Joe Mathieu's illustrations have the warm, cartoon touch found on Sesame Street, which is unsurprising, given that he has illustrated many books based on the program. That sure looks like Kermit's brother getting into that cab, and if that's not Big Bird's uncle riding that bike, it's his cousin. The creatures have been given the kind of personalities that make them rejoice in whatever it is they aren't supposed to be doing.