Howden, Sarah. Cone Dog. Illustrated by Carmen Mok. Owlkids Books, 2023. 978-1-771-47514-3. $18.95. Unpaged. Grades PreK-2.

When Emma comes home from the vet with a plastic cone on her head, she is very perturbed. The cone makes digging more difficult, and it makes the other dogs stare at her. All she wants to do is lay around and sulk. Before long, however, a game of catch leads to a surprising discovery: there are actually benefits that come from wearing the cone! For instance, Emma is able to catch more than one ball at a time. Best of all, she is able to use the cone in a creative, hilarious way to scare off Keith, the sneaky neighborhood squirrel who loves to tease her. Maybe the cone isn’t so bad after all! But will Emma be okay when it’s finally time to take the cone off?

THOUGHTS: This humorous story is a great selection for young animal lovers. Readers will appreciate its subtle message about finding the silver lining and making the best of any situation. For double the fun, pair it with Cone Cat (2020), another amusing story by the same author/illustrator team.

Picture Book