Lost and Found

July 6, 2009
LaMarche's (Up
) gentle artwork distinguishes this collection, gracefully rendering the special bond between dogs and children. In the first story, Anna's retriever Molly leads the way home after the girl runs off in anger and gets lost; in the second, Jules enjoys a happy reunion with his pet Ginger after the scruffy dog disappears in the woods. Jack finds a husky named Yuki, whose owner gives Jack's single mother a fresh start in the final tale. LaMarche reports events simply (“Molly sniffed the ground. She sniffed the air. Then she looked back at Anna and wagged her tail”), and the action centers on the children, who show initiative and persistence. Some readers may find the characters a little goody-goody, while others may see them as simply innocent and free of irony. What's indisputable is LaMarche's talent as a draftsman. The soft colors of autumn unite the stories visually, and the pages are full of activity. Even the endpapers are covered with portraits of the dogs, as though LaMarche's love for them has overflowed beyond the bounds of the stories. Ages 4–8.

August 1, 2009
Preschool-G LaMarche invigorates a well-trod topicthe bond between children and dogswith a trio of short stories about the mutual companionship, comfort, and security of these special relationships. In the first tale, a defiant young girl runs away from home, but when she becomes lost in the woods, her companion, a golden retriever named Molly, dutifully leads the way back. In the second tale, Ginger, a feisty terrier, disappears on a family hike. At nightfall, her devoted young owner leaves his jacket behind to serve as a familiar bed for his pet, resulting in their reunion the next morning. In the closing tale, a lonely boy takes in a gentle stray named Yuki, and their serendipitous meeting offers the boy and his mother, who live in a cramped trailer, a new home and a brighter future. As usual, LaMarches softly textured acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations in mellow, golden-tinged hues delight the eye. Composed of varyingly sized panels on white backgrounds, the winsome artwork superbly captures both the action and the emotion of these heartwarming stories.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2010
Soft acrylic-wash and pencil illustrations are the highlight of three short stories about Molly, Ginger, and Yuki--dogs whose individual actions demonstrate the deep and abiding affection that can exist between children and their canine pets. LaMarche's sentimental text is less compelling than his delicate, realistic paintings aglow with autumnal hues.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)