What can you say about the PLP? The now iconic character debuted in the very first Little Golden Book back in 1942. Illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren, who used to work for The Walt Disney Studios on movies like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Poky crawls under the fence and misbehaves just like his four siblings, but he never gets into any trouble because he's so pokey. By the time he does return home, his sibs had been punished, so he eats their food and sleeps happily. When the others turn the tables on him and the Poky Little Puppy misses out on his own dessert, he learns a strong lesson in obeying. Janette Sebring Lowrey story is a fun read-aloud adventure. The puppies' behavior is never too bad and their punishment is never too severe, but the message still comes across. Tenggren's illustrations have a classic feel that makes the "Poky Little Puppy" as comfortable as an old shoe to chew on.
