Kelly DiPucchio (Crafty Chloe; Zombie in Love) and Christian Robinson (Harlem's Little Blackbird) team up for a heartwarming story about how the true sense of belonging comes from the inside, not the outside.
On the title page, Robinson shows a beautifully groomed white pampered poodle, pushed in a peach-toned baby carriage with a matching peach bow on her head; the pooch passes by a wide-eyed French bulldog peeking over the edge of a corrugated box. DiPucchio then introduces Mrs. Poodle and her new puppies: Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La and Gaston. As the puppies grow, "three were no bigger than teacups." But the fourth (guess which one) "continued to grow. And grow." Poor Gaston! As Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo and Ooh-La-La politely sip from their bowls, quietly "yip" and walk on their "Tip. Toe. Tippy-toe[s]," Gaston spills his water, barks loudly and races around the house. When Mrs. Poodle meets another canine family in the park, puppies Rocky, Ricky and Bruno resemble Gaston, while Antoinette looks more like Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo and Ooh-La-La. Might there have been "a terrible mistake?"
Readers will likely predict what will happen--and be thrilled by the surprise twist. To Mrs. Poodle's and Mrs. Bulldog's credit, they let their pups decide how to handle the situation. Robinson plants subtle (visual) red herrings, such as a mother duck and her identical four ducklings enjoying the park. This is the story of choosing the home where you feel that you belong, not necessarily where you look like you belong. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness