SumoPuppy

Everything changes at the heya (training center) the day that Okamisan brings home a puppy named Chanko-chan. The rikishi (wrestlers) adore her, but all Chanko-chan wants to do is follow SumoKitty around, slobber, and bark incessantly. SumoKitty decides to teach Chanko-chan the Ways of the Kitty. But will the drooling, yapping pup have what it takes to become a ferocious mouse-hunter? Unlikely. She might, though, become a wonderful and loyal friend. In this delightful companion piece to SumoKitty (2019), Biedrzycki yet again finds both humor and important lessons by placing unlikely animals side by side with sumo wrestlers. Done in a beautiful mix of pencil, watercolor, and digital techniques, the art style uniquely and skillfully superimposes the detailed realism of the Japanese countryside and sumo-wrestling world with the cartoonish buffoonery of pratfalling pets. There are translations of Japanese terminology throughout, along with strong messages on mentoring, determination, and resilience, but the more serious bits are buried, as skillfully as a doggie bone, under a feel-good gigglefest about a well-meaning and goofy-looking dog in a mawashi loincloth.

A new fur baby attempts to earn her place in the heya. Following the misadventures of SumoKitty (2019), the black-and-white feline diligently watches over the heya, or training center, alongside Kuma, the yokozuna, or grand champion. While they both have grown in skill--Kuma in sumo, the cat in hunting for mice--the friends are older now and want to pass down their knowledge. While Kuma is already busy teaching, SumoKitty longs for a student, lamenting that kittens live too far away, "on the other side of the river." Surprisingly, a pug puppy dubbed Chanko-chan is brought to the heya. Chanko-chan quickly chooses SumoKitty as her target of affection; a montage of the annoyances the kitty endures ensues. SumoKitty attempts to teach the pup to catch mice, with disastrous results, and Chanko-chan is kicked out. But the little dog's dedication and bravery are unmatched, and she finds a way to prove herself to the sumo wrestlers. The spare narrative leaves most of the humor and emotional arc of the story to the detailed illustrations. Cool colors are juxtaposed with warmer tones, and while the humans are depicted realistically, the animals have a more cartoonish look, especially bug-eyed Chanko-chan. The tale is set in Japan, and Japanese terms are interspersed throughout, along with definitions. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A sweet and silly tale of a raucous yet deeply courageous pup. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.