The Joys of ‘The Poky Little Puppy’

America’s all-time bestselling picture book tells a modest story of a dawdling dog. How has it held its own against flashier books?

The cover of “The Poky Little Puppy” and a boxed set that includes it / Credit for both: Random House

You might think America’s bestselling picture book would be a crowd-pleaser like Where the Wild Things Are or If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, both preschool favorites for decades.