Fred can do all the commands: sit, stay, don’t run away. At least most of the time. But he cannot understand the command “Fred”. What is Fred? If he knew what Fred was, he would be the best at it! (Or try his best.) This is the dilemma of Fred in, I Love You Fred. The person that is around Fred is always saying that word Fred. It is most frustrating. However, later Fred learns what Fred means and how-to Fred: by just being himself.
Mick Inkpen created a cute story, but one that does not a lot of “meat” to it. The story is somewhat repetitive and simple. Yet, it is fun, and I did want to learn if Fred was going to figure out what the command Fred means, so it was a hit there.
But I am not a huge fan of the illustrations of Chloe Inkpen. They are works that might grow on you, or not. They are subjective. They seem to fit the lighthearted, quirky and goofy aspect of the story. There is not a lot to them either, but they do include the information needed to move the story along. The bright colors will grab the eye of the toddler.
Best suited for dog fans ages 2 to 5 and the older reader 6 to 8 could do some solo reading. Despite being a “dog book” this pet rock and cat person found a few things to love. Great for reading during one-on-one times or group story time reading works as well.