GUS UPSTAIRS

The arrival of a new dog disrupts apartment life—in the best possible way.

Ms. Wilson’s lived in apartment 1A so long that she’s become an expert in the weekday comings and goings of her upstairs neighbors, the Lams. She knows every step, scuffle, and squeak. Best of all, the absence of sounds means the building is finally empty, and she can play her many instruments in peace. Enter Gus, the Lams’ new pup. When they leave for the day on Monday morning, he happily barks along as Ms. Wilson plays her piano downstairs. But the silence that Ms. Wilson has come to treasure is gone. Just when it seems like the Lams will have to give up Gus, however, they hit upon the perfect solution. Sookocheff gently establishes mounting tension on both sides, all resolved with a realistically satisfying ending where empathy and cooperation win the day. She captures the complexities of apartment life—the ways in which neighbors fall into familiar routines and negotiate a shared existence. Relying on a muted palette of browns, beiges, and grays, her illustrations are enlivened by action lines, swirls, and confettilike dots that visually convey sound and emotion; thoughtful details make the characters feel all the more vivid. Ms. Wilson is brown-skinned; the Lams present East Asian.

A sunny tale of communal living and compromise—with an adorable pooch at its center.