DOGKU

Sixteen haiku serve as the text for this heartwarming story of a wandering dog who finds a new home with a kind family. The scruffy, gray dog with beady eyes and an oversized nose appears through the window of the back door on the front cover, and who could resist that engaging face? He’s invited into the house and then fed, bathed and given the name of Mooch. In succeeding spreads, Mooch begins to feel at home but gets into typical trouble when left alone, chewing on socks and getting into the trash. The new owners provide Mooch with his own bed and toys, finally accepting him as part of their family. The author succeeds in packing quite a bit of plot into the haiku, with additional story elements added through the illustrations of a busy household with three children. The illustrations create a real sense of drama as the dog’s fate is considered, and Mooch stands out in every illustration with his appealing facial expressions and poses. A short author’s note defines haiku and offers some additional samples. (Picture book/poetry. 4-6)