Is there anything Pete won't eat? Poppy Wise's sweet but unruly dog starts with Nico's accordion and works his way through the alphabet, making a nuisance of himself by leaving nothing untouched, not even glue sticks or Uncle Norman's underpants. Despite Pete's ravenous ways, a frazzled Poppy Wise can't help loving him. Kids will laugh at Pete's impossible cuisine, adults will appreciate the offbeat sense of humor, and both will love the artwork that perfectly captures the fun of the text in this unique alphabet book only Maira Kalman could create. You would not believe the things this dog Pete puts in his stomach. An accordion, for starters. Then an eggbeater, a glue stick, Mrs. Parsley's pink pocketbook, and cousin Rocky's underpants. ("Uggh!") Pete's faithful mistress, Poppy Wise, is at her wit's end. And yet, she can't help loving that dog. ("Quite a lot.") So, from A to Z (in a loose, meandering way), Poppy inventories her insatiable pooch's intake, with loads of parenthetical asides, witty commentary, and an unforgettable cast of characters. Maira Kalman, zany and talented source of Next Stop Grand Central , Ooh-la-la (Max in Love) , and other exquisitely quirky picture books, uses the alphabet as a framework for what is truly an ode to a well-loved if incorrigible--dog. Her spectacularly rich gouache paintings are just the thing to illustrate this linguistic playpen. Read this one aloud—-kids and adults alike will sit enthralled. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter Ages 6-8. Unlike Kalman's dog-of-the-world Max from Swami on Rye: Max in India (1995), Pete has a simpler ambition: he "DEVOURS . . . a MYRIAD of ITEMS which he should NOT." As revealed in an alphabetical catalog by his owner Poppy Wise, Pete usually prefers nonfood items, beginning with Cousin Rocky's accordion ("All of it") and going on to a camera, a fez, money, a pocketbook, various shoes, Uncle Rocky's underpants, and several yo-yos--anything, in fact, except "Zug Zug Dog Grub." With deliciously vibrant colors, slightly skewed perspectives, and delectable humor, Kalman mixes and matches her exuberant canine gourmand, his latest snack, and annoyed or melancholy-looking adults. Although each picture is headed by the appropriate letter in hand-drawn uppercase, lowercase, and script, this ABC is addressed less to beginning readers or writers than to dog lovers everywhere, who will agree with Poppy's rousing summation: "ZOOKS! WHATTADOG!!" GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Kalman unleashes her extravagant whimsy in this loquacious alphabet book. ( Publishers Weekly , starred review) Richly witty in both the text and the illustrations. ( The New York Times Book Review ) In her own words: "born. bucolic childhood. culture-stuffed adolescence. played piano. stopped. danced. stopped. wrote. discarded writing. drew. reinstated writing. married Tibor Kalman and collaborated at iconoclastic yet successful design studio. wrote and painted children's books. worried. took up Ping-Pong. relaxed. wrote and painted for many magazines.  cofounded the Rubber Band Society. amused. children: two. dog: one."