Dog vs. Strawberry by Nelly Buchet, illustrated by Andrea Zuill (Random House Studio, 40 pages, ages 4-8). When a dog’s owner gives her a strawberry, it’s time for “the greatest race of all time!” With a sportscaster narration explaining what’s going on, the dog races around the living room, taking down a lamp and a plant before exhaustion takes over and she has to take a nap break. Meanwhile, the strawberry remains cool and collected on the living room floor. It’s anybody’s race right up until the very end when the owner returns, and–unwittingly–decides the winner.

Dalmartian: A Mars Rover’s Story by Lucy Ruth Cummins (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, ages 4-8). When some dog-shaped aliens visit Earth to collect specimens, one of them gets left behind. Stephen, the boy living in a nearby house, discovers the alien and invites him in. Although it resembles a dog, the creature has some clear and decidedly un-doglike preferences: no dog food (bacon is good), no leashes, no fetch, and no pooping in the dog park. Once they begin to understand each other, the two bond quickly. One night, while they’re both sleeping, the spacecraft returns, and Stephen’s guest gets on board to return to the home planet. But partway through the journey, the creature realizes its mistake and turns the ship around. In the morning, the two friends are reunited, this time for good.

Finding Things by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (Greenwillow Books, 32 pages, ages 3-6). “If you found a ball on the grass and it was there for days, you could take it home.” Similarly, flowers growing in a sidewalk crack and a box by the curb on garbage day are other treasures that can be rescued. A kitten? If it’s crying, doesn’t belong to anyone, and you get permission from everyone, then it’s yours. And that lucky kitten will have a pretty flower to look at, a ball to play with, and a box to sleep in.

Here are three dog books that preschool and early elementary readers will enjoy. Finding Things isn’t really about the dog on the cover, but it perfectly captures the childhood joy of discovering unexpected treasures and is short and simple enough for the youngest readers. Slightly older readers will get a big kick out of Dog vs. Strawberry, both the action-packed illustrations and the sportscaster-style storytelling. And you can move right on to Dalmartian, with its cute doglike character, alien storyline, and a few good bathroom jokes.