Life is pretty insufferable when you’re a dog named Tag living with a toddler named Elisa. In spite of her parents’ constant reminders to be gentle with the dog, Elisa is anything but. She squeezes him too hard, pulls his tail, sits on him, and even takes his favorite toy. But it ends happily with the first time the baby pets the dog on her own (“Gen-tle. Gen-tle.”), which comes as quite a surprise to the cringing canine. This first picture book by a new author/artist shows a talent for understatement that’s coupled with a distinctive, humorous art style. Matthew J. Baek makes excellent use of negative space and the drama of turning the page to show how threatened the dog feels whenever the baby is around. Baek is also very good at drawing babies—he really understands their center of gravity and how their little bodies move, something that comes across well even in his highly stylized illustrations. The story features an interracial family with a white mom and an Asian American dad. (Ages 2–4)

A wonderfully witty take on playing nice, from a fresh and funny new talent.

Baby Elisa loves Tag, the family dog. She loves to squeeze him, and pull his tail, and tackle him. Tag loves Elisa too—especially when she’s sleeping. Elisa’s parents tell her, “You must be gentle with the dog, dear.” But this is easier said than done. What’s a good dog to do?

With spare, pithy text and laugh-out-loud illustrations, debut author/illustrator Matthew J. Baek brilliantly captures the warmth, frustration, and rampant comedy of life with a toddler and the object of her delight. Whether the pursued or the pursuer, any kid with a pet or sibling will love this tale of two characters who share a true regard, and learn— with much hilarity along the way—the right way to show it.