"If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." Senator Ted Kennedy did just that—an effusive black Portuguese Water Dog named Splash, who narrates this breezy and informative tour of the nation's capital and guide to daily life in the Capitol. Splash attends the Senator's staff meeting, takes a ride on the tram, is at Kennedy's side for a press conference, and watches the debate between opposing sides of a conference committee session as they come to a compromise on an education bill.

David Small's oversized watercolors of Splash and his on-the-go Senator make this a natural companion to his Caldecott Medal book, So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George. Together, they give an easy-to-grasp overview of the way things work in the U. S. government. Information on how a bill becomes law and bios of Senator Kennedy and Splash round out the volume. There's even an e-mail address for Splash, if the kids want to send him a note: splash@tedkennedy.com.

Reviewed by JF.

Themes: DOGS. U.S. HISTORY.