Review_CHILDREN’S
66 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ OCTOBER 14, 2019
Review_CHILDREN’S
Where Lily Isn’t
Julie Paschkis, illus. by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. Holt/Godwin,
$17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-250-18425-2
Remembering Lily, a little brown pup who once “ran/
and jumped/ and barked/... But not now,” a child moves
through her routine noticing the dog’s sudden absence. The
empty rug “where Lily isn’t,” the gap beside a breakfast
chair, the lack of havoc at the mailman’s arrival. Paschkis
expresses the child’s grief with quiet melancholy (“There is
no belly to/ be rubbed or ears/ to be scratched”), while
Chodos-Irvine’s colorful artwork, rendered using hand-cut
stencils and gouache, emphasizes Lily’s presence and
absence both, showing the distinct space that Lily once took
up, physically and otherwise. Expert brushwork adds move-
ment and texture to the neat, sparse pages. A straightforward
story about grieving—and coming to terms with—the
passing of a beloved pet. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)The Invisible Leash: A Story Celebrating Love
After the Loss of a Pet
Patrice Karst, illus. by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff. Little, Brown, $17.99
(32p) ISBN 978-0-316-52485-8
In this follow-up to The Invisible String, heavy-hearted
Zack can’t stop thinking about his dog, Jojo, who has just
died. His parents try to offer comfort but only frustrate
Zack, who struggles to process his feelings. When he con-
fides his sorrow in his friend Emily, she blithely relays “the
very best news ever”: “When our pets aren’t here anymore,
an Invisible Leash connects our hearts to each other. Forever.”
Irritated, Zack retorts, “I only believe in things I see.” After
a day of Emily’s evangelizing, Zack feels Jojo’s presence
under the gaze of a full moon. Karst’s gentle narrative guides the
friends through their shared experience, and Lew-Vriethoff’s
digitally rendered, loose-feeling illustrations expertly depict
the wide range of emotions therein. An opaque Jojo is
depicted in each spread, a constant participant. An empathy-
driven resource for children reckoning with the loss of a pet.
Ages 4–8. (Dec.)Odd Dog Out
Rob Biddulph. HarperCollins, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-236726-6
One of these things is not like the other in this orderly
dachshund universe. In repeating patterns of pups—busi-
ness hounds in suit, tie, and bowler; a team of striped doggy
footballers; a crew of swimmers in polka-dot caps—“they all
blend in. No dog stands out.” Except for Odd Dog, who dons
a rainbow scarf with matching hat and is conspicuous in every
otherwise homogenous crowd. Feeling “on her own and out of
place,” she packs her case and hits the road for “Doggywood,”
a bustling city of dogs that align with her aesthetics. Afterexpressing pity for a sweater-sporting outlier who reveals a
fondness for standing out, Odd Dog realizes her folly and
heads for home, where her absence, meanwhile, has taught
her peers to individuate themselves. In cheery colors and
upbeat rhyme, Biddulph writes an inviting narrative of self-
discovery interwoven with tidy images of dachshunds of all
sorts. Ages 4–8. (Dec.)What If My Dog Had Thumbs?
Mike Perry. Dottir, $19.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-948340-09-0
Perry, an Emmy-winning graphic artist and animator for
his work on Broad City, brings a lively, psychedelic energy
to his debut children’s book. The titular
question repeats throughout, followed
by musings on the topic: “Would she
walk around town shaking hands with
all of her chums?/ Or bang on a drum,
declaring in a hum, ‘I am a dog with
thumbs!’ ” Printed in fluorescent inks
and reminiscent of ’60s poster art, the
illustrations feature a handsome, mop-
like pup with opposable thumbs engaged in the mundane
(eating beans with a spoon) and the extraordinary (exploring
space). Wordless spreads break up meandering stanzas,
inviting the reader to soak in the surreal. While bumpy at
times, Perry’s limerick-like tune makes for a diverting
readaloud. Readers who have entertained existential ques-
tions about their pets will appreciate the absurd brainstorm.
Ages 4–8. (Sept.)Sean Awesome: The Dog Next Door
Jiwon Hwang, illus. by Sung Hong. Simply Read, $15.95 (40p)
ISBN 978-1-772290-32-5
In this second installment of the Sean Awesome series,
blue-haired, animal-loving Sean confronts a first: a new
canine neighbor, French bulldog Coco, who wears a red
beret, appears to dislike him despite his best efforts (greetings,
attempted hugs, offered snacks). Perturbed and preoccupied,
Sean spies on Coco through a telescope. When he sees Coco
enter the “International Dog School,” he appropriates a
canine costume, sneaks in, and realizes that the hound may
have “come from a foreign country” and perhaps “doesn’t
understand what I’m trying to say.” After learning to say
sit in several languages, Sean finds that the French—assis—
lands him happy barks from the new neighbor. The text seems
to ignore the idea that more than one language can be spoken
in a single country, and Hwang’s unembellished text and
Hong’s cut-paper art suggest an appeal to readers younger
than the stated age range. A slight tale of friendship across
language barriers. Ages 6–9. (Nov.)Dog Days
Five picture books celebrate humankind’s best friend.