Author/Illustrator: Simon James
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2019
Age: 3-6
Themes: Companionship, dogs, pet ownership
Opening: see 2 images below.
Summary: (from my library catalog) Everyone knows that owners and their dogs belong together in a unique way. Polly belongs to Molly, Eric belongs to Derek, Berry belongs to Terry. But poor Mr. Scruff, alone in the rescue shelter, doesn’t belong to anyone. Then a boy named Jim walks in, and they seem to get along. Jim and Mr. Scruff don’t look anything alike, and their names certainly don’t rhyme, but they may end up belonging to each other just the same. From author-illustrator Simon James comes a warm, winning story about friendship and finding a home. A sweetly silly story of a little boy and a dog who make an unlikely (but perhaps perfect) pair.
Resources/activities: Talk about pets and why they might be a good fit for a child or their family, how the pet was chosen, or how otherwise ownership has come about; discuss what’s important about ownership, responsibilities, and care; discuss why a person or family might chose not to have a pet.
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
So true. Our SPCA rescue is perfect for our family, although she initiated events that gave me a concussion last week, LOL. Running with an impulsive large dog is not recommended unless you weigh quite a bit more than they do. This book looks sweet and on target for dog lovers. Love the illustrations. Thanks for the rec! It may end up being as well loved as Ragweed’s Farm Dog Handbook!
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So sorry to hear about your concussion – yowza! It is a very sweet book, hope you like it!
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This is a sweet silly story. I especially liked the ending humor as well. Great review, Julie.
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Such a heartwarming story! I love the illustrations. Looks like the perfect pet match to me!
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A new rescue puppy story and it looks to be set in Central Park, one of my favorite local parks – so excited to read this! I just requested it from my library. Thanks for sharing it!
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Love dog stories, and the illustrations you’ve highlighted are so cute!
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Awww, I missed this. I can’t get enough older pet adoption stories. Don’t you think the illustrations have a slight Quentin Blake appeal?
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