Two dogs--one real, one robotic--star in this "visitor from outer space" frolic by Geisel Honor Book author Twohy. On a starry summer's night, a yellow canine sleeps half out of his doghouse. A bunch of round eyes can be seen in one of the human house's windows. The eyes belong to the Brave Little Toaster-esque kitchen appliances, all of them up because they sense something strange is coming. A distant light turns into a big yellow meteoroid that lands in the backyard. In classic '50s B movie-style, a UFO touches down, and a visitor descends the ramp. It's a very shiny robo-dog, who greets the appliances, ignoring the excited dog.The focus here is on the dog's feelings: fright, joy, feeling left out and let down, and then more joy at finally being included.

The rhyming text--with usually no more than four-to-six exclamatory words per double-page spread--and often-explosive action, boldly rendered in watercolor and felt pen, make this a great find for early readers. Rollicking and joyous.