Aggie is a small brown-and-white dog about to be spayed, and the surgery is a scary prospect for Aggie’s young owner. “Will Aggie get hurt? What if she gets hungry? Can I wait for her here?” Instead it’s a long day of waiting at home and a night in an Aggie-less bed before his family can pick Aggie up the next day. It takes a few more days before Aggie—in her “lamp-head” collar that the little boy transforms into a lion’s mane—starts acting like herself again. And two weeks pass before Aggie can run and play like she used to in this terrific book for beginning readers that is fine-tuned to a child’s feelings of anxiety and love. Lori Ries’s perfectly pitched text is paired with Frank W. Dormer’s pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations that sparkle with moments of unexpected humor. (Ages 4–7)

Aggie and Ben are back with another boy-and-his-dog adventure just right for early and beginning readers.  

They met and became best friends in Aggie and Ben. They learned to behave in Good Dog, Aggie. Now Aggie and Ben must conquer their fears in their third book for beginning readers. Puppy, Aggie, has to go to the vet, but it's Ben who needs to be brave as he deals with a night without his best friend. When Aggie returns home, she is unable to play. Ben must do his best to take care of her and make her feel better.

Frank W. Dormer's expressive illustrations tell the story of the special bond between a boy and his loyal pet dog. Young readers will love the continuing adventures of Aggie and Ben.