They Call Me No Sam! by Drew Daywalt (review)

Reviewed by: They Call Me No Sam! by Drew Daywalt Kate Quealy-Gainer Daywalt, Drew They Call Me No Sam!; illus. by Mike Lowery. Clarion, 2024 224p Trade ed. ISBN 9780358612902 15. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780358612889 9. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 2-4 Right from the start of this clever, breezy chapter book, readers will know our pug protagonist's narration might not be entirely reliable: "My name is NO SAM! and I am a human being. " To be fair, "No Sam" is one of the few things Mike, "the naked-monkey-thing" (i. e. an actual human) that the pup lives with, says to No Sam at all. Recognizing that he and Mike just aren't meant for each other, No Sam decides to run away. He's lucky enough to land in a pet shelter and quickly be adopted by Justin, whose busy scientist parents think the young boy needs a friend. Now just Sam, the dog does his best to be good, pooping on the proper pooping rug, retrieving and opening the treasure chests (garbage cans) left on the driveway, saving Justin's mom from a brain-melting heat cannon (hair dryer), and protecting Justin from the evil wizard next door (Justin's crush). The naked monkey things are obviously displeased, but when Sam's misperceptions end up saving Justin's parents' research, he's celebrated as the hero he knows himself to be. While the chaotic canine narrator here will surely engage even the most reluctant readers, the wink-and-nod humor also requires a bit of savvy, asking readers to guess at the reality behind Sam's misinterpretations of the situation—of which there are plenty. With thick, black linework and a style that falls somewhere between Dav Pilkey's works and stick figures, the black-and-white art adds energy and clues readers into some of the more subtle jokes. Fans of the Wimpy Kid book series or Dogman will find this to be right up their alley. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois