My Secret Dog, by Tom Alexander

It's a familiar story: "He followed me home! Can I keep him?"  Only in Tom Alexander's My Secret Dog, this little girl doesn't ask.  She decides she will keep him, but keep him a secret!  She hides him in her closet at him, takes him to school and hides him in the cloakroom, hides him under her bed.  Inevitably, he makes enough messes that she can't keep him hidden any longer.

It's a cute story, to which many kids will be able to relate.  Even if their dogs aren't secret, they will appreciate the little girl's efforts to take him to school and cover for his messes.  Alexander's drawings are simple and very linear.  Alexander must be going for a very minimalistic look here, but I did not find his basic black and white drawings to be particularly appealing.  I like the story, though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!