by Harry Bliss

Scholastic Books, $16.99, 32 pages

Bailey, by Harry Bliss reminds me of a comic book. Not the fancy “graphic novels” of today, but the old-fashioned, real comic books that were fun and funny. Bailey is a fun idea, the tale of a dog that sleeps in a bed, and goes to school, a regular school with children. How that came about isn’t something that’s told in the book, but is of little importance, because the story, the art, and the “balloons” above the characters’ heads are all laugh out loud funny.

There are at least a dozen life lessons to be gleaned from this book, but that’s not the main emphasis, it’s meant to be fun, and if some life lessons are learned while a child reads it, so much the better. Actually, though targeted at children, no matter what your age, you’ll get a laugh or hundred out of Bailey. If there’s an award for humorous children’s books, this one should win, hands down. Bailey (the book, not the dog,) will be available at all the usual outlets.

Reviewed by David Broughton