Forever Friends by Barbara S. Cohen, illustrated by Dorothy Louise Hall ages baby-3 32 pages Smallfellow Press April 2004 Paperback     Almost every little boy either already has a close relationship with a dog or dreams about having a dog as his best friend. In Forever Friends by Barbara S. Cohen, the take on the typical boy-dog relationship is reversed when Petey, the dog, tells the story of the way he takes care of Skip, the boy. Going through a typical day, Petey tells of how he wakes Skip up for school, walks him, plays with him and teaches him important lessons on making friends and loving nature. The cute and heart-warming story is enhanced with amusing watercolor-like illustrations by Dorothy Louise Hall. Other than the curious fact that Skip is often seen wearing a belly-baring half shirt, the illustrations are well-done and should help keep young children’s interest in the story. Though the text is large and there is not much on each page, it is written in a strange swirly font that young readers may have a difficult time deciphering. Therefore, this is probably a book that is better read by the parents to the children rather than children trying to read on their own. Forever Friends is a cute story that young children should enjoy, whether they already have a close relationship with a dog (or other pet) or are just dreaming of one.      web reviews   Angela McQuay/2005 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)