Adorable photographs and clever cartoons combine in this book of life advice from MacDonald and his dog.

A brief introduction, signed by MacDonald and his spouse, Patti, explains that the two humans have learned a lot from Charlie, their Cavalier King Charles spaniel. MacDonald and Charlie offer sage words of wisdom, geared toward young readers but equally applicable to adults. Each two-page spread features large text with themes like, “Be curious,” accompanied by an original comic illustration by Bucella and followed by a photo of Charlie and his insight (“You can never know too much”). Some of the pages go together well: Advice to look for treats includes an image of Charlie standing on hind legs at the vet, requesting an extra biscuit. Other spreads use contrasting themes and images. The short, plain text includes accessible vocabulary (featuring challenges like knowledge and understanding), making this a good choice for emergent readers. Bucella’s comedic illustrations enhance the text, and additional “Far Side”–style comics appear as bonus extras on the endpapers. But the real star is Charlie, who looks soft and snuggly in his photos. Most of the photographs of Charlie are edited to eliminate the original context and placed on a minimalist, illustrated background; the most successful images are those that include more detail.

A sweet, short-sentenced book made for young dog lovers seeking life advice.