Paolo, Emperor of Rome

Paolo’s small size doesn’t keep him from being a dog with big dreams. So when he sees an opportunity to break free of Signora Pianostrada’s salon, he escapes into the “eternal city,” Rome, and begins to bask in its glory. He takes in an opera and visits the Colosseum, where he marvels at its beauty while mourning its use as a stage for “barbarism.” He bravely defies a tabby cat and becomes the unanimously selected leader of a pack of dogs, with whom he enjoys a glorious night roaming the city. As the pack breakfasts the next morning, he sees six nuns who have fallen into Trevi Fountain, and he heroically jumps in to save them. While he is rewarded with an audience with the pope and an apartment “papered in gold and hung with Caravaggios,” he turns down the confinements in favor of a “boundless” life. The story includes clever references to Rome—like when the dogs are howling at the moon from inside the Pantheon—and a humorous, ironic premise—a boundless, noble spirit inside a small dachshund (aka “wiener dog”), but it also feels shallow and hurried, creating a sense of randomness. Apparently, Paolo’s limitless life is difficult to meaningfully, substantively cover in a short picture book. Keane’s rich digital illustrations succeed in depicting Rome wistfully and playfully while still including realistic, recognizable details.