12. My Dog and I

My Dog and I. Luca Tortolini. Illustrated by Felicita Sala. 2023. [November] 48 pages. [Source: Library] [Picture book, Humor, Pets, Animals]

First sentence: I've always wanted a dog. And then, as I was walking in the park one day, I found one.

Premise/plot: A girl's dream comes true when she finds a lost "dog" in the woods. When no one responds to her "lost dog" posters (which she has posted all over town), the dog becomes HER dog. Or does it??? Does the "lost dog" want to be a found dog? And what will happen the next time the girl ventures into the neighboring woods? 

My thoughts: This is a VERY silly book. I loved it. Is the narrator being unreliable out of sweet naivety? I'd say yes. Probably. She's the lovable fool and not a trickster. Is it fun as a young reader to be "smarter" than the narrator? I'd say YES. It invites a lot of giggles. If this is a read aloud, the adults can ask questions like "Is that a dog she found?" or "What did she find?" (the possibilities are endless). Young ones can speculate (aka "grow an idea") on what kind of pet she might find NEXT.  

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Young Readers