The Great Poochini is the story of Signor Poochini, known to his human master as Jack and to the canine opera world as a world-famous lyric tenor. The book begins with Poochini set to star in the premiere of Dog Giovanni. But his performance is jeopardized when his master goes out for the night and for the first time locks Poochini’s window, unknowingly trapping the star singer. However, unlike most operas, this story has a happy ending; when a cat burglar conveniently breaks into the house, Poochini scares away the intruder, then escapes through the broken window. He arrives at the theatre just in time and stuns a packed house with his superlative performance.

Gary Clement, author/illustrator of Just Stay Put, successfully follows the formula of “dog-as-human” and “dog-by-day/ star-by-night” perfected in Nina Laden’s The Night I Followed the Dog, but adds his own touch with an operatic setting and his distinctive style. Clement’s text abounds with wordplay, visual parodies, and sly puns on his highbrow subject, creating a truly sophisticated and funny story. Many of Clement’s jokes may miss their mark with younger readers not intimate with opera, but all will get a giggle out of “Fettuccine Arfredo” and “Wolfhound Amadeus Mozart.” Though the text is quite lengthy and would have benefited from more stringent editing, and the cat burglar episode seems abrupt and unresolved, The Great Poochini will engage and charm audiences aged seven and older.

The comic style of Clement’s illustration complements and enriches his text. The level of detail in his drawings, down to a toonie coin on a tabletop, will engross children, and his scenes at the Muttropolitan Opera House teem with action and are doggedly delightful. The jacket design, with its handbills from other Poochini performances and critical blurbs from key canine commentators on the back, completes the package and leaves readers with a smile.