Who Wants to be a Poodle: I Don't    by Lauren Child Order:  USA  Can Candlewick, 2009 (2009) Hardcover    Reviewed by Bob Walch Trixie Twinkle Toes is a pampered poodle who yearns to be just a regular dog. Adored by her owner, Mademoiselle Brulee, the little dog has a maid to plump her pillows and a cook to prepare special doggie nibbles. 'I want to stick my head out of car windows and feel the wind in my ears. I want to bark at dogs in the street. I want to catch sticks and roll in the mud. I want to be DANGEROUS and DARING, but most of all, I want to step in puddles,' explains the pampered dog. You'll have to read this picture book to discover if Trixie ever gets her wish. The author of the Charlie and Lola series of picture books, Lauren Child has fun with alliteration as she spins this silly yarn about a little pampered poodle who hankers to be just a regular mutt. Although this is a very clever children's story, the packaging is far from satisfactory. In fact, the changing typeface and size of the narrative, coupled with the fact that it meanders all over some of the pages, makes this a challenge to read for adults, let alone children four years of age and up. The illustrations are also a bit too frenetic. In too many instances the background detracts from the central images and with the haphazard way the text is arranged, the general effect is a little too chaotic for my taste. Would I purchase this for a young child? Probably not, especially if the youngster were a beginning reader. I think a nine or ten year old might appreciate this book, but I would think at that age a picture book might be considered an insult! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews