Poor Oscar. Not only does he get teased by his friends in obedience school for his shape and size — “Wiener Dog!” — but his mom makes him the most embarrassing Halloween costume a sausage dog can wear: a hotdog bun.

To top it off, the costume makes it hard for him to catch up with his friends when they go trick-or-treating. But when the other dogs run into a terrifying monster, Oscar proves that his shortcomings (pun intended) are no barrier to him being a heroic and loyal friend.

Complementing the hilariously punny text of this feel-good underdog (ha!) story are lively and expressive illustrations of the anthropomorphised animals, which are a real treat, with lots of witty details that bear closer examination.

That Oscar endearingly chooses to risk being made fun of rather than to hurt his mother’s feelings, also makes The Hallo-wiener a real winner in this mama’s books!