Six short chapters in a picture book format recount the doings of Rosie the dog, as reported by the two round-headed African American children in the family with whom she lives. Rylant has shaped the story using the basics of typical dog behavior—playing and sleeping, going up and down, in and out, here and there, etc. The sentences are short, the chapters are episodic, and the picture clues and easy vocabulary will make this perfect for beginning readers, but also fun for reading aloud. (Ages 3-6)