Author / illustrator Arthur Howard provides us with a whimsical story line showing the double meaning of this book’s title.  A young boy with his ‘dream’ pet, a dog: play together in the sprinkler, tail wagging with friends, growling at something disliked, following commands, getting drinks from the toilet, hiding under a chair when scared by thunder, and always wanting to play some more. Then, there is the question, ‘What does my dog dream about when he is asleep?’ Is it food, or riding in the car, or chasing things, or going to school, or various smells and sounds only a dog can smell and hear, or as Grandpa says, ” ‘ Maybe Scooter dreams about you.’  ”

A single simple sentence per page with a big friendly dog rollicking across the page is shear joy.

I recognized Arthur Howard’s illustrations from his book HOODWINKED and from Cynthia Rylant’s series “Mr. Putter and Tabby” .