Good Dogs in Bad Sweaters

by Rachel Wenitsky, David Sidorov, Tor Freeman (Illustrator)

Holiday mischief abounds in this third book in the middle-grade series that feels like The Secret Life of Pets meets Toy Story .

Are the Good Dogs up for a holiday-sized mission?

All of the doggy day care friends are excited about the holidays! King, Cleo, and Napoleon can’t wait for their eight nights of Hanukkah prezzies, and Hugo, Waffles, and Lulu are ready for cozy Christmases at home.

But then surprise visitors interrupt Lulu’s shooting schedule, Cleo struggles at an agility contest, and Hugo learns that Waffles, his new puppy sister, is expecting someone called Santadoodle to bring them all presents on Christmas morning. Hugo has never even heard of Santadoodle!

Of course, Hugo doesn’t want Waffles to be disappointed, so there’s only one thing to do—rally his friends for their biggest mission yet!

Luckily, these Good Dogs are always up for an adventure!

Genres: Fantasy

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 28, 2021

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was growing up, we learned that "Happiness is a warm puppy." For Lulu, happiness is a warm Teacup Pig named Buttercup. Yep! This holiday installment in the Good Dogs series features a cute little pig. I have to say, that Buttercup was much more lovable than the obnoxious guinea pig horde in Good Dogs in Bad Movies. It is Christmastime for our Good Dogs and each household has a struggle to deal with: Jasmine's parents surprise her and Lulu causing a career crisis; Hugo desperately wants to make sure Waffles gets the special gift she is expecting from Santadoodle. Hugo is getting better at agility courses, but is concerned about Cleo's performance. Finally, Napoleon continues to train as a therapy dog and he is really good at it. As we know from the other books, when these dogs put their heads together their success rate is mixed. I loved having Pickles the cat back on the scene and the fact that Nuts the squirrel has a wife named Berries -- and a litter of babies on the way.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group through NetGalley.
Another book in this series about these dogs who are best friends. Readers will be amused by their antics as they prepare for the holiday season. They'll also appreciate how they care for each other. Wenitsky gives each character a distinct personality so readers can tell who is narrating even without the identifying dog tags in each chapter. The story weaves the various subplots together and each stands on its own as well. Love Lulu's story as we see how social media can take over lives.

[Lisa D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book! Not my favorite !

[Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Dogs are back and ready for a Christmas adventure! Lulu is preparing for her big break in show biz. But with her endless filming schedule, she doesn’t have much time to spend with her family and friends. Maybe being famous isn’t as glamorous as she thinks it is?

Cleo lost her perfect winning streak in the agility competition. No matter how hard she tries, Cleo just can’t shake the feeling that she’s let her family down. King does his best to cheer her up, but nothing works.

Waffles is convinced that Santadoodle will bring her an amazing Christmas present. But Hugo is skeptical as he’s never heard of Santadoodle before. He makes it his personal mission to see that Waffles gets exactly what she wants. Could Hugo have possibly misunderstood Waffles’ wish?

I absolutely adore this series! I see so much of my own dogs in these adorable characters. I highly recommend this book to dog lovers of all ages.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

184 pgs. This is a funny book told by the dogs. This installment focuses on the dog challenge to get an "Ultimate Ball" which is the one thing every dog wants for Christmas. Hugo wants to make Waffles' first Christmas super special and at the same time help Santadoodle . The dogs all gather to complete important tasks they feel need attention...like cheering up poor Cleo who feels sad, with the secret cheese which is inconveniently located in the fridge. This book is full of action and lots of funny dog thoughts we humans might not be aware of...not to mention lots of adventure. It is a combination of realism with the fantasy part of dogs talking/thinking, etc. Kids will definitely enjoy this one. Highly recommended for Grades 4-6.