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Young Percy walks with his mother each day to pick up his older brother from school. However, one day his mother has a migraine, and Percy can't wake her up, so he decides to walk alone to the school. He gets the leash for his dog, called D.O.G., and they begin walking down the alley. But he finds that being alone is very scary and imagines the worst, including monsters, grizzly bears, and lions. He's also scared of the traffic that they encounter. They manage to get to a local store, where the owner tells him to be careful. Percy and his dog run into a policeman who tells Percy that he'll come back to make sure Percy is safe while waiting for his brother. He continues to be scared with his active imagination. Finally, his brother comes to him. They see their mother at the store, and she's understandably upset.
This book about independence and freedom follows a little boy throughout his big adventure. It also shows the fear of someone this age and the active fantasies that are fear-based. The illustrations are nicely done and adequately depict the story of this adventure. However, it is problematic that no one really helps the little boy, including the policeman. The overall effectiveness of the story would also be enhanced through some additional editing. The book ends abruptly, enabling those reading the book to draw their own conclusions about what happens next. Percy realizes how upset his mother is, and children reading this will likely be able to understand the mother's concern in this cautionary tale.