Charlie has a hard time choosing. It doesn't matter if the choice is between flavors of ice cream, pairs of underwear, or whether to sleep with the lights on or off—the options are always overwhelming. In fact, it’s easier when Charlie doesn’t choose at all. However, with Charlie’s birthday fast approaching, he is determined to choose the absolute best gift for himself: a dog! And when a furry friend chooses him instead, making decisions suddenly becomes a little bit easier.
"Charlie has a hard time choosing. It doesn't matter if the choice is between flavors of ice cream, pairs of underwear, or whether to sleep with the lights on or off, the options are always overwhelming...However, with Charlie's birthday fast approaching, he is determined to choose the absolute best gift for himself: a dog! And when a furry friend chooses him instead, making decisions suddenly becomes a little bit easier"--
Peacock’s text humorously conveys Charlie’s worries about making the wrong choices without ever stooping to poke fun while Slater’s cartoon art adopts a retro style that makes the picture book feel somehow familiar. . . When Charlie finally does decide that a pet dog would be the perfect birthday present, he confronts his biggest conundrum yet: which pup to pick at the animal shelter?. . . In a pitch-perfect ending, the perfect pup chooses Charlie, relieving him of the need to make a decision and giving him a companion who helps ease his worries from that point on. . . Choose this one, for sure.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Concise and well attuned to the audience, the narrative leaves plenty of space for the illustrator to expand the storytelling visually. While the colorful digital artwork is inviting throughout, kids are likely to linger longest on the pages filled with dogs and look back through the pictures for glimpses of Charlie’s canine companion. A satisfying picture book for dog-lovers.
—Booklist
