Author, illustrator, and former toy designer Andrea Beck returns with a third tale about pampered poodle Pierre and his imaginary daredevil alter ego, Pierre Le Poof.

Champion show-poodle Pierre visits Paris for an important competition, but the show is secondary to his plans. Pierre dreams of baguettes, pâté, and brie, but most of all, he longs to climb the Eiffel Tower. When his beloved owner, the poodle-haired Miss Murphy, leaves him behind while she tours the city, plucky Pierre channels Le Poof and makes a break for it.

After leaping from his hotel balcony and sliding down an awning to freedom, Pierre sneaks past the Eiffel guards and howls joyfully when he reaches the top of the tower. A sudden storm sends Pierre over the edge. Clutching a parapluie, Pierre floats safely back to earth. He poses for photos, then hightails it back to the hotel. Miss Murphy never discovers how he became so bedraggled, or why his high-flying twin is in the newspaper, but all is forgotten when Pierre wins top prize at the dog show.

Beck’s story and illustrations are great fun. Her whimsical watercolour and pencil drawings are packed with Parisian details, like cafés, berets, and baguettes, and beautifully capture Pierre’s joie de vivre. Particularly delightful is the sequence showing Pierre going over the edge of the famed landmark and debonairly sailing through the sky.

The book is perfect read-aloud material for the kindergarten set, with challenging vocabulary for early readers. Expect the fun to continue down under – the ending points to Australia as the destination for Pierre’s next big adventure.