Hughes's collaboration with her illustrator daughter, first in a three-book series, tells of a rivalry between amiable Digby O'Day (he's a dog) and his fashionable neighbor Lou Ella (she's a human). Lou Ella lives a life of flash ("Lou Ella bought a new car every year, always a very expensive one"), and she expects to win the great auto race from Didsworth to Dodsworth. Digby and his loyal companion Percy (also a dog) are rewarded when an unassuming family they've befriended tells them about a secret shortcut. The book's small trim size and ample illustrations slot it neatly between picture and chapter book. Vulliamy's (Martha Bunny Loves School) vignettes adorn every page, and extra features, like a Q&A with Digby and a page from his photo album, abound. Hughes (Hero on a Bicycle) works hard to show that civility and gentle humor trump unbecoming displays of glitz, while developing the car-based race theme, which draws momentum from accidents (including a literal cliff-hanger), last-minute repairs, and suspense over who will reach the finish line first. Ages 5-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

K-Gr 2-This early chapter book is light and entertaining yet still exciting. Digby O'Day and Percy are always having adventures in Digby's car. The book opens with an "interview" with Digby in which he and the other characters are introduced. It also includes a map so children can follow the episodes. First, the canine pals almost fall off a cliff and are saved by passing motorists. They enter a car race and get lost yet persevere. Their annoying neighbor and careless driver, Lou Ella, is so confident of her lead that she stops to eat lunch at diner and, in true "Tortoise and Hare" fashion, loses the race. The book features short sentences and lots of white space. Cartoon drawings appear on every page and add to the fun. The result is a story that's delightful and original.-Ellie Lease, Harford County Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

FROM AMELIA BEDELIA'S cheery misinterpretations to "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" and its impertinent bird hoping against hope for the impossible, delusions fuel a certain stripe of hero. Early chapter books - and here we have three by much-lauded children's book authors - offer the perfect bridge between the freewheeling dreams of picture books and the serious narratives of longer fiction. These characters come by their delusions honestly and do not force the issue. And the more we indulge in their scattershot dreams, the more we want to believe in them too. In the case of "The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure," by Doreen Cronin and the illustrator Kevin Cornell (the creators of the J.J. Tully Mystery series), a world-weary retired search-and-rescue dog introduces us to four little troublemakers: Dirt, Sugar, Poppy and Sweetie may look like baby chicks, but they have ambitions far beyond mere scratching and pecking. With dialogue straight out of a '40s film noir, they take on the case of a squirrel who has seen something "big and scary." After some interrogation it emerges that the squirrel has seen something large, circular and noisy (in the squirrel's own words, "it interrupted the atmosphere"). If a chicken can rush to a conclusion a chicken will rush to a conclusion, and these chickens are immediately convinced that a chicken-stealing U.F.O. is in their midst and that it's up to them to take it down. Needless to say, the supposed U.F.O. is a mere barbecue grill, and the chicks' efforts to destroy it ramp up the tale to maximum amusing chaos. Cornell's illustrations give life to the chicks and their individual personalities. Each one pursues his or her own agenda, though they are often united in a common cause. Like four small, fuzzy, yellow Don Quixotes, they see giants in windmills or, in this case, aliens in backyard grills. Don Quixote also certainly comes to mind in the case of Leroy Ninker in "Leroy Ninker Saddles Up," by the Newbery Medal winner Kate DiCamillo, with illustrations by Chris Van Dusen. (The two collaborated on the Mercy Watson series.) Leroy may harbor delusions of grandeur, but they are sweeter, softer yearnings than the chickens'. Leroy isn't having a midlife crisis. He's having a life crisis. Employed at the concession stand of the Bijou Drive-In Theater, Leroy dreams of becoming a cowboy. When Beatrice the ticket seller points out that he lacks the requisite horse, he sets out to procure one immediately. He imagines acquiring an impressive creature he can call "Tornado." What he gets is Maybelline, an old, four-toothed equine who comes with her own set of rules. It's love at first sight. DiCamillo, who is also national ambassador for young people's literature, has always been at her best when dwelling on the good and the bad in relationships between humans and animals, and Van Dusen knows precisely how best to present Leroy to us. Seen here, the incipient cowboy is short and needle-nosed, but displaying that gleam you find only in the eyes of people pursuing their desires. When Maybelline disappears because of his negligence, he must take his fate into his own hands and then he must "wrestle it to the ground." Leroy's possible delusions instead transform him into a man honestly living his dream. We can laugh at how he goes about fulfilling it, but if he's perfectly content at the end of the day, isn't the laugh really on us? DIGBY O'DAY OF "Digby O'Day in the Fast Lane" has a dream as well, but it's less grand than the desire to live life on the range. Possessing a car that he loves just as much as Leroy loves Maybelline, Digby and his best friend, Percy, intend to win the local All-Day Race from Didsworth to Dodsworth. His rival, a saucy little minx named Lou Ella, has the audacity to purchase a new car every year and to mock Digby for sticking with his own beloved jalopy. With permission to go "by any route you choose," what follows is an amusing adventure through the countryside, ending with a lovely pot of tea. It is a very British affair. Digby's tale attempts an exciting feel but unfortunately lacks much in the way of verve. Even the art by Clara Vulliamy (daughter of its author, the beloved English children's book writer and illustrator Shirley Hughes) stays neatly contained within the walls of the story. Both "The Chicken Squad" and "Leroy Ninker" are spinoffs from other popular series, yet both feel as though they are boldly striking out in new directions. Digby, in contrast, meanders about pleasantly, disinclined to do much that would strike a reader as the least bit unexpected. It's charming, but what Digby lacks is the passion that comes with doing what you love. It's the passion that spurs the chickens on to attack backyard equipment while camouflaged in grass clippings. The passion that inspires Leroy to charge through his neighborhood without hat or lasso in his slippery socks to find his missing horse. The passion that will encourage reluctant readers and early readers to keep turning those pages. Pages that will, in turn, help them to create more dreams than delusions, we hope. BETSY BIRD is a librarian and the author of the picture book "Giant Dance Party." She is a co-author of "Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature," published this month.

Digby the dog loves to take drives with his best friend Percy. When the two enter the Didsworth auto race, they encounter several obstacles along the way, including Digby's ruthlessly competitive neighbor, Lou Ella. Broken into six short chapters with charming illustrations and only a few sentences per page, this book is perfect for beginning readers starting to move beyond the picture book. Duos such as Elephant and Piggie and Frog and Toad come to mind as Hughes' hounds embark upon their tortoise-and-hare-style adventure. Sweet and simple, the illustrations and story will amuse young readers as Digby and Percy drive through town meeting other residents in their race for the finish line. A section of fun extras follows the story, complete with car games, activities, and a reading challenge. The first of three planned adventures, this is a delightful addition to early chapter books.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2010 Booklist

Mother-daughter, author-illustrator team Hughes and Vulliamy collaborate for a low-key tale with an old-fashioned feel, decidedly British flavor and cheerful illustrations.Digby ODay and his best friend, Percy, are anthropomorphic dogs in natty suits. Digbys neighbor (and nemesis) Lou Ella is a stylish young woman with a fondness for fast cars. Secondary characters range from human (the members of the friendly family, among others), to badger (entrepreneurial brothers Don and Ron Barrakan), to various other, unnamed animals. The slight plot focuses on an auto race from one small town to another; the message, meanwhile, has more to do with kindness and altruism versus thoughtlessness and selfishness. Spelling has been Americanized, but some vocabulary may momentarily stump readers on this side of the Atlantic. Red-and-pinktinged illustrations, created with pencil, ink and digital collage, appear on every page, breaking up the text, adding humor and clearly depicting the events as described in the straightforward text. A simple map allows readers to follow the racers along their routes. A two-page profile of Digby precedes the first chapter; car games, a quiz, drawing prompts, and brief bios of the author and illustrator as well as a preview of the next book follow the final one.Digby and Percy are slated to return in additional adventures; whether they can win the contest to capture the interest of young readers and listeners remains to be seen. (Fiction. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.