Skeeter and the Computer

Skeeter the dog's loneliness leads him to the family computer, and the press of a button puts Skeeter and the computer deep into conversation as they learn each other's tricks

Kindergarten-Grade 2 This book requires the suspension of a lot of disbelief. The first stumbling block is that a computer could talk to a dog. Then, that the dog would bring everything from cake to a teddy bear to the computer in hopes of pleasing it. Further, the computer teaches the dog all kinds of tricks, including how to clean up the mess when all of the gifts Skeeter has brought it topple over. All is swept, washed, dried and put away before the family returns to a ``normal'' dog and computer. The computer claims that cleaning up is ``the best trick of all,'' but that would strain the credulity of any reader, let alone a young one. The illustrations, average cartoon-like ink sketches, do the job, but are not at all impressive, and certainly are not up to the quality of Modell's illustrations for his One Zillion Valentines (Greenwillow, 1981). Forget the electronic age and stick with the Seuss classic The Cat in the Hat , which has more depth, humor, and credulity. Carole B. Kirkpatrick, Terminal Park Elem . School, Auburn, Wash.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

When a dog named Skeeter is left alone at home he finds some solace in the computer room. He pushes a button and the computer responds in a friendly manner. Soon Skeeter begins to fetch, roll over, sit up and play dead, among other tricks. The computer teaches Skeeter stunts he's never dreamed of; the dog discovers that the machine doesn't eat cake, play with toys or accept presents of any kind. When the piles of rejected presents collapse into garbage, Skeeter learns one more trickthe cleaning function. With freehand simplicity, Modell's patches of bold black line and watercolor depict a less than eventful story, and he appears to know very little of the computer's temperaments and tricks. But Skeeter looks like a fairly young dog; perhaps it's still not too late to learn. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.