HAZEL HELPS OUT

In this first of a new series—a spinoff from Butler’s popular Kayla and King books—a young girl’s summer is suddenly filled with dogs.

When her grandmother falls ill, 9-year-old Hazel and her mother travel from their home in Chicago to Minnesota. Grandma runs a doggy daycare out of her barn, and Hazel and Mom are here to step in while she recovers. Grandma prefers dogs to people, and she’s less than thrilled at their arrival (“Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days,” as she puts it). Still, she begrudgingly accepts their assistance, and everyone pitches in—including Mom’s longtime friend Mallory and her children, 11-year-old KC (who uses they/them pronouns) and 7-year-old Jonah. Butler balances doggy antics with gently presented moments of emotional awareness. When Hazel struggles under the weight of keeping a secret from her mother, Jonah points out that “tattling isn’t always bad.” And when Jonah inadvertently shares the secret with his mother, Hazel astutely observes, “Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do when you have a secret.” Authentic depictions of friendship and family dynamics and realistic opportunities for responsibilities and problem-solving are smoothly and entertainingly combined here. Hazel and her family appear white in Kote’s cheerful, clear cartoon illustrations; the visuals add to the charm and hint at some diversity among the other humans.

An appealing, doggedly upbeat tale.