Forever home A dog and boy love story

Henry Cole, 1955-

Book - 2022

Told in two voices, a boy who wants a dog more than anything and an abandoned dog looking for a forever home find each other.

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Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
New York, NY : Scholastic Inc 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Henry Cole, 1955- (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations ; 26 x 28 cm
Audience
Ages 4-8.
Grades K-1.
ISBN
9781338784046
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

A dog-obsessed boy and an abandoned pup take center stage in Cole's latest wordless offering. The boy presses his dads for a dog, but they are reluctant, given that the child's room is always a disaster. Undeterred, the boy goes about proving he's responsible; he cleans up his mess and uses an empty leash to "walk" his invisible pet every day, rain or shine, eventually discovering an abandoned pooch in a cardboard box. Back home again, the boy cheerfully assists with household chores (while dreaming of the dog), and eventually the dads agree the pup can join their forever home. Cole's black-and-white illustrations include numerous setting details (particularly the boy's bedroom, which is full of canine posters, stuffies, and books), and the use of red for the leash and dog collar helps focus the reader's attention. Set in a city neighborhood filled with brownstones and small businesses, the story plays out in a welcoming, dog-friendly community. Reminiscent of Dayal Kaur Khalsa's I Want in the very best way.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2--In this poignant wordless book, a young boy eager to prove his responsibility as a dog owner begins dragging an empty leash wherever he goes. When he finds a dog living in a box on the street, it is love at first sight. Once he successfully sways his parents by cleaning his unmanageably messy room, an adoption is made--and a family is complete. The delicate hatching of Cole's ink drawings (black and white, except for the bright red of the dog's leash and collar) engenders a subtle air of grayscale nostalgia, not old-fashioned as much as quietly comforting. The inclusion of the boy's parents, an interracial same-sex couple, provides a modern update to a classic narrative. VERDICT This sweet and touching story will prove a worthy addition to any collection.--Jonah Dragan

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

Cole's skill in creating wordless picture books (see, for example, Nesting, rev. 3/20) shines in this engaging story about a boy and a dog that additionally introduces young readers to the structural complexity of dual points of view. Smartly allowing children to understand one thread before introducing another, Cole provides seven pages of front matter, which reveal an apartment for sale and a dog standing alone on the front stoop before finding shelter in a cardboard box. Following the title page, readers meet a young boy holding a bright red leash and clearly asking his two dads for a pet. But when his dads venture into his room, they find one big mess. Throughout the book, Cole creates numerous points for inference or discussion. Why is the dog alone? Why won't the boy's parents let him get a dog? Why does the boy help with chores and go on long walks every day carrying a leash? And why is that leash bright red, the only spot of color within black-and-white illustrations? The gentle pen-and-ink drawings depict the boy's initiative and his parents' pride, thus previewing the satisfying conclusion. Coming on the heels of two fine books about animal home construction (see also Building, rev. 7/22) Cole's latest explores an important but related question: what makes a house a home? Betty Carter November/December 2022 p.62(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

In this wordless tale, a lonely dog and a child yearning for a pet find solace and purpose together. Alone on a stoop, an abandoned dog sits in front of a locked door and a nearby "for sale" sign. The dog sadly roams the neighborhood, searching for a new home. Meanwhile, a child pesters their parents with pleas for a dog. The child shows them photos and a bright red leash and collar, the only color amid full-bleed black-and-white spreads. The parents visit the child's room, exasperated with its unkempt state. Undeterred, the child takes the leash for walks around town, even in the pouring rain, the crimson hue of the leash radiating hope amid the gloomy gray. On one such walk, the two main characters meet, and, in hopes of convincing their parents to let the dog come live with them, the child is motivated to help with chores and tidy their room. The pair are joyfully reunited at the dog shelter, embarking on new adventures and grateful to be together. Cole excels at creating expressive background characters and realistic details with precise ink crosshatches and linework that reward closer inspection. The child is light-skinned with spiky black hair. One parent is light-skinned; the other is dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An exquisitely rendered, touching story of companionship and belonging. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.