MADLENKA’S DOG

The urban child introduced in Madlenka (2000) takes another stroll around her multicultural block, this time accompanied by an imaginary but convincingly present dog. After introducing her new pet to Mr. Gaston the baker, Michiko the painter, and other adult friends, each of whom sees it as a different breed, Madlenka joins her friend Cleopatra, and her invisible horse, for a series of wordless adventures in polar snows, ancient Egyptian sands, and various locales between. Sís adds artfully placed die-cut holes and shaped flaps within his richly ornamented scenes, making this a book designer’s dream as well as a time- and world-spanning sojourn full of visual surprises and pleasures. And when Madlenka is finally called home, she arrives trailed by more than two dozen very visible canine companions. The human and canine cast both are identified on the final page of this fantastical, brilliantly imagined outing. (Picture book. 5-9)