A duke and his dog Tricky love to do mean things to everyone around them, just for fun. But one day the duke gleefully knocks a four-layer cake over on a baker who had been nice to them, and Tricky realizes that this behavior is wrong. He then begins to prank the duke instead, plugging up his toilet, hiding a rotten fish under his easy chair, and making the kitchen sink overflow with bubbles. When the duke kicks him out, Tricky realizes it's time for him to learn some new tricks -- nice ones this time.
I wish I could recommend this book, because the illustrations are delightful. Unfortunately, the story focuses heavily on the ways in which the duke and his dog bully people, then when Tricky sees the error of his ways, he simply begins to bully the duke instead. The duke's implied change at the end feels very sudden and shallow; it's hard to believe that he has really changed for good. On the whole, this book focuses so much on unkindness that empathetic kids will likely find it frustrating and depressing, and kids who bully others may find it validating while missing the very subtly implied point.
Sydney G., Elementary Library Media Specialist
