STRAY

Life with no boundaries is thrilling—but tough.

In a bustling city, a brown dog with inquisitively bent ears delights in the freedom of being a stray, romping with the pigeons in the park and identifying all the wonderful smells (as well as the “areas to avoid”). Our protagonist saunters smugly past a line of leashed pet dogs: “I don’t have a collar to restrain me, a leash to control me or a fence to contain me.” But living on the streets isn’t all fun and games; the dog must contend with loneliness, food insecurity, and constant rejection before eventually being snatched up by an animal control officer and forced into a cage at a shelter. A chance encounter with a potential new friend leads the dog to a happy realization: Opening up to others can be richly rewarding. Atkinson has crafted an emotional look at the tension between independence and the desire for a connection with others, as well as the lingering effects of trauma (the author reveals that the stray was abandoned as a puppy). Vulnerable first-person prose and expressive artwork, depicting scenes that range from idyllic to harrowing, blend for an authentic portrait of an initially untrusting pup learning to let others in. The dog’s new owner has tan skin and dark hair.

A poignant look at the healing power of friendship.