LARABEE

A subtle twist on the mailman vs. dog theme, but Mr. Bowman the mailman, brings his own dog, Larabee, on his route every day. And it must be the best of all perfect worlds because everyone likes Larabee, except Mrs. Fellini, who’s a cat person. Everyone gets letters too: Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza get a letter from their son; Benny Habermeyer gets a birthday card; and the butcher’s package intrigues Larabee the most. But “dogs don’t get mail,” says Mr. Bowman. Luthardt sends his direct storytelling out with gentle, happy illustrations, enclosing characteristic emotional content in the package, his characters all sporting oversized heads and often speaking in speech balloons. Finally, Larabee gets his own letter from one of the little girls on his route: “I love you very much!!!” she writes. This is a colorful, seamless blend of simple sentiment mixed with happy intent putting a stamp on why we should continue to use the post office for more than just junk mail. (Picture book. 2-5)