Just as kids give their toys words and act out real situations with them, this first book in a series about Chaucer the dog imagines Chaucer telling how he plays with his toys. There are stuffed animals, chew toys, and even a rag creature for whom Chaucer makes up a silly name. Chaucer speaks in a sing-song verse, sometimes rhyming, having as much fun with his words as he does with his toys. The illustrations work to convey the mischief and chaos Chaucer gets into with his toys. They fill the page with legs and arms and bright colors and patterns. Textured illustrations—bumpy, flat fabrics—add sensory excitement. Chaucer is included as himself in photographs, hinting at the reality behind the make-believe. At the end of the story, Chaucer cleans up.

The author’s book conveys its lesson with compassion. Being told to clean up is not always effective and is rarely well received. But seeing and hearing Chaucer initiating cleaning on his own allows the idea to come from children themselves also. If Chaucer can do it, why not them? The text is bold and large. Elementary-aged readers can read it on their own or have it read to them. The words slither down one page as if they are toys themselves and with minds of their own. Their positioning makes reading and, subsequently, tidying fun. This charming book about an imaginative dog and his toys makes a difficult task such as cleaning up easier with prose and pictures that entertain as well as teach.

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