SNIFF

Can Scruffy the dog find his missing blanket?

Scruffy is a reddish-gold mutt who loves his special blanket with the adoration that many young readers feel for their own special stuffed animals and/or comfort objects. Digital art depicts the pup with an oversized black nose, which he uses to sniff out his blanket when it goes missing. The illustrations use swirls of color to make scents visible on the page as first-person rhyming text tracks the dogged pup’s progress. First, a puce trail of scent leads to a stinky sock, and then golden-brown spirals lead Scruffy to yummy biscuits. When he at last finds the colorful patchwork blanket hanging out to dry on the clothesline, soap bubbles surround it. The bright quilted fabric certainly looks like Scruffy’s lost lovey, but it doesn’t quite smell right. No matter! He will soon solve that problem by rubbing and rolling all over it, undoing the wash perhaps but restoring his cherished blankie to its familiar, preferred state. Hudson’s simple rhymes scan well. The minimalist artwork features just Scruffy and spare details against solid backgrounds. The dog’s personality is brought to life through spot-on facial expressions. Along with the brisk conversational narrative and opportunities for inference, this makes the book well suited for read-alouds. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A picture book not to be sniffed at that will speak to little ones who miss their own lovies when they go in the wash.