Review by Booklist Review
It's June in Brooklyn, and the most happening place in the neighborhood is the Cheshire Street dog park. There's the 50-pound puppy, Cup-Cup, whose owner, Kaleb, is quietly fighting with his best friend, Ezra, who worries about everything, including the possibility of losing his chow chow, Mr. Cashmere. Newcomer Jilly is adjusting to life with her aunt's grumpy terriers, while Mei-Alice is trying to retain her confidence without alienating her classmates--and trying to keep her tripod corgi mix from eating forbidden foods. One fateful weekend sees their lives overlap in unexpected and remarkable ways, leaving them all changed forever. The clever concept works wonderfully, shifting narrative duties between pets and people with easy and compassionate humor. Refreshingly, not all conflicts are perfectly resolved, but every character lands in a better place than they were at the beginning. There are laughs aplenty (the terrible terriers are a riot), heaps of heartfelt conversations, and possibly more dog barf than in any book before now. An eminently enjoyable celebration of canine companions and their incredible impact on our lives.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The lives of four sixth graders and their dogs intersect during one chaotic June weekend in this upbeat romp. Kaleb and his Bernese mountain dog/Newfoundland mix Cup-Cup, whose friendliness matches her enormous size; Mei-Alice and her three-legged "corgi-adjacent" rescue pooch Panda, who has a forbidden craving for chocolate; and anxious Ezra and his chow-chow Mr. Cashmere are the top dogs at their Brooklyn dog park. But the arrival of newcomer Jilly and her grumpy old terriers Grover and Lottie throws a wrench in the established pack dynamics. Via multiple perspectives both human and canine, the group gradually come together to weather life's ups and downs. As Jilly yearns to fit in, Kaleb and Mei-Alice clash during rehearsal for the school play, and, while searching for an on-the-run Mr. Cashmere, Ezra and Kaleb attempt to rebuild their friendship following an incident. Simple prose by Jenkins (the Upside-Down Magic series) conveys characters experiencing big emotions and finding common ground thanks to their canine companions, resulting in a tale that's chock-full of heart and lots of good dogs. Illustrations by Preitano (Destiny, NY) depict a visually diverse community of pups and people. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8--12. Agent: Elizabeth Kaplan, Elizabeth Kaplan Literary. (Nov.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--6--Dog-loving kiddos will enjoy this well-constructed book with shifting narrators about a weekend in June that changes its characters' lives. Black-and-white illustrations float through the pages, pleasantly cartoonish with thick lines and sweet portrayals of all the different dogs featured in the story. All the main characters (mostly sixth graders at MS 123 in Brooklyn, several different dogs, and a couple of adults) get their chance to share their side of a story about what happens during one weekend in their neighborhood dog park. The characters read like real kids with real emotions, such as Ezra who is sometimes overwhelmed with worry, or Mei-Alice who doesn't feel she can talk about her nervousness over singing in the school musical. The core conflict is resolved, but all the children's and adults' problems are not perfectly fixed at the end of the book, and that's okay; at this stage of reading, readers won't need to have everything neatly tied up with a bow. At just over 200 pages, the length is great for late-elementary or middle school readers, though the vocabulary at times might be a stretch. VERDICT A sweet story for dogs who love to be read to and the middle schoolers who love them.--Jessica Durham
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Every dog lover thinks their dog is the best in the universe, writes Jenkins in this cozy neighborhood tale…and they're all correct. Displaying sharp insight into how both pets and middle schoolers see the world, the author spins interwoven storylines around regular visitors to a Brooklyn dog run. In this safe social space, friendship crises, beloved companions lost and found, tempests emotional and digestive, and new family arrangements play out in benign ways over the course of one June weekend. Narrated in third person, the book follows a bevy of canine and human characters, giving readers true-to-life glimpses of both viewpoints. The canine cast outnumbers the racially diverse human one and is large enough to necessitate an occasional flip back to Preitano's opening gallery for a refresher. Still, in both the narrative and in the informal ink-and-wash scenes, generously distributed throughout, the dogs--from 50-pound puppy Cup-Cup to three-legged, "corgi adjacent" Panda--are as individualized in looks and temperament as their two-legged devotees. Free of tragedy if not occasional tears, guilty secrets, and moments of distress, this buoyant outing delivers nicely on a reassuring authorial promise at the outset that things will turn out well. Final art not seen. A real good, feel-good, doggy delight.(Fiction. 9-11) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
