THE GIFT OF HALEY

A mischievous Valentine’s Day puppy heals a little girl’s broken heart in this humorous picture book for young children.

Young Emily puts her heart into her homemade valentine for the boy next door, but it falls apart in his careless hands. Inconsolable Emily vows to “never give her heart away again”—not even to her concerned parents’ gift: an adorable, floppy-eared, Labrador puppy named Haley. Emily isn’t sure that Haley can be trusted, especially after her efforts to teach the pup good habits initially go awry. Bené (I’ll Always Clap for You, 2015), debut co-author Lyn, and debut illustrator Petersen reveal just how untrustworthy Haley can be in a pleasing integration of simple narrative and digital illustration. Pages of easy-to-read, centered text, under images with a soft, brushed look, reveal Haley’s thefts of various household items. These alternate with whimsical, wordless pages showing the pup enjoying her ill-gotten gains: lounging on an armchair, wearing Emily’s glasses, and reading a book titled How to Be a Cat Burglar; racing off in a car with Mom’s keys; playing a round of golf with Dad’s club; and more. But can Haley steal Emily’s heart? The cuddly ending is also sure to please its 4-to-8-year-old target audience.

A fun fantasy about a child’s puppy problems.