Smudge the dog and his girl visit animal after animal trying to identify the strange sounds Smudge makes in this “sweet, heartwarming” (School Library Journal, starred review) novelty book with lift-the-flaps that proves you don’t need words to show you love someone.

Smudge looks like an ordinary dog but rather than woof, bark, or bow-wow, he makes rather extraordinary sounds. His human can’t tell what language he’s speaking, so she decides to consult other animals. From a cow to a pig to a busy bee, everyone is just as baffled by Smudge’s noises.

But perhaps what really matters is not the language Smudge speaks but what he’s saying. Little ones can lift flaps to reveal each barnyard animal and, ultimately, find out what Smudge has been trying to communicate all along.