Rescued pound puppy doesn't think sniffing out bedbugs is all that heroic a gig until he helps a family rid their home of the little nasties. ( )

"Superdog!" exclaimed my seven-year-old granddaughter, when she saw the cover of "Barnaby the Bedbug Detective." Indeed, Barnaby is the first superhero I've ever met with a bedbug-bedecked cape.

Tina and I thrilled to the story of a too-bouncy-for-a-family shelter mutt who rose from zero to hero after his adoption by Martha and graduation from training school. Alas! When Barnaby sat proudly, head held high, at his discovery of bedbugs in a family's home, the family didn't cheer. Had he done something wrong?

Take your child on Barnaby's journey from zero to hero, with a brief hiatus back in zeroland, before his "best doggy smile" ever. Enjoy the beautiful artwork by Karen Zapp, whose warm, gentle pictures complement the gentle text, making this a story to enjoy as much as to learn from. ( )