From Booklist
Toby, an enthusiastic, goofy, and lovable mutt that belongs to an African American couple and their daughter, Emma, has a schedule for getting into trouble. On Monday he got into the garbage, on Tuesday he ran into the road, on Wednesday he ate food he shouldn’t, and so on until Sunday, when he snoozed. His continued misdeeds land him in Ms. Katz’s dog-training school. Although Toby performs well in school, he returns to his schedule of misbehaving. After a second week at the school, he becomes a model dog, except for an occasional tug on his leash to chase squirrels. Whimsical cartoon illustrations make Toby’s troublesome and dangerous behavior seem humorous and lighthearted, in the same spirit that misbehaving is handled in such stories as David Shannon’s No, David! (1998). Children will delight in Toby’s antics, especially when he disappears through a die-cut hole on the last page. They will also appreciate Emma’s role in helping him become the almost perfect dog. Grades K-2. --Randall Enos

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2—Emma's dog is lovable, but his misbehavior is a serious problem. Using a predictable pattern to tell the story, Demas relates Toby's antics each day of the week and his experiences at dog-training school. Then, in a leap from reality to fantasy, Toby demonstrates that he is a good dog by baking bread, vacuuming the rug, and folding the laundry, among other household jobs. The ending, however, shows that the pup has not given up all of his old ways. The story is great for reading aloud, but the many humorous details in the cartoon-style illustrations make it fun for individual reading as well. Text, illustration, and design all work together to create a delightful story.—Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
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Corinne Demas is the award-winning author of numerous books for children and adults, including THE LITTLEST MATRYOSHKA, ALWAYS IN TROUBLE, PIRATES GO TO SCHOOL, and SAYING GOODBYE TO LULU. She is a professor of English at Mount Holyoke College and lives with her family in Western Massachusetts. Her website is www.corinnedemas.com.
Noah Z. Jones is an author, illustrator, and animator who creates all sorts of zany and memorable characters. He has illustrated numerous books for children, including ALWAYS IN TROUBLE, NOT NORMAN, and THOSE SHOES. To see more of his work, swing by his website, www.noahzjones.com