Continuing on with my Cybils reading, I have two beautifully illustrated stories of dogs, both great for reading aloud as well as independent reading. I confess I’m more of a cat person myself, but these doggos still won me over.

Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson. Illustrated by Junyi Wu. Candlewick, 2023. ISBN 9781536222814. Read from a library copy. Ebook and audiobook available from Libby.

Under the Mountain, the Elves hunt with their magical dogs for the giant Wyrm… but outside the mountain, Clay knows nothing of this and is just trying to survive quarantine, with the unbearable pressure of being too close to his family and their troubles – sibling fights, lost income, not enough computer access for school, not able to see even his best friend.  When the strange white dog with even stranger ears appears, everything gets better.  Elf Dog* is always  filled with joy and leads him on trails to places Clay has never seen before in all his exploring, including to a town of owl-headed people who dress as if it were still the 1600s.  Making friends with an owl-headed boy improves his life even more.  But when the Folk under the Mountain realize that Elf Dog has escaped, and the Owl Headed-people realize that their child is breaking their rules, the two boys have to work together to save Elf Dog while staying safe themselves.

M.T. Anderson’s books often combine familiar elements in original and very unexpected ways – his Pals in Peril series being a favorite example.  This is also original and yet completely different from his previous books.  It is that perfect speculative fiction combination of the recognizable fairy tale elements with the struggle of the pandemic, the joy of dogs, the out-of-the-blue owl-headed people – an engaging plot arc with a resonant emotional truth.  Junyi Wu’s stippled black-and-white illustrations are the perfect complement. You can read more about the history behind the book in an interview with M.T. Anderson at a Fuse #8 Production.
*I am sure that Elf Dog had a name, but sadly, I returned the book before taking notes and can no longer remember it.

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers. Illustrated by Shawn Harris. Knopf, 2023. ISBN 978-1524764203.  Read from a library copy. Ebook and audiobook available from Libby.

Johannes is a free dog who lives in a great park, running all over as the Eyes for the Bison, the wisest creatures in the park, who live in an enclosure.  The philosophical seagull Bertrand, shy squirrel Sonja, clumsy pelican Yolanda, and the raccoon Angus act as Assistant Eyes, working together to keep up with the happenings of the park to keep everything safe for its animal residents.  Their peaceful way of life is put at risk as Johannes is first kidnapped by some Trouble Travelers, as the animals call them, and then accidentally brings himself to the attention of the park guards, who are very concerned about the stray dog loose in the park.  These experiences, though, encourage Johannes to come up with a dangerous and selfless plan to help his friends. 

It takes a lot to do an animal story well – it’s very easy for the animals to feel too much like people, or for the story to verge too much towards either violence or sugary sweetness.  Here, the animals feel like animals, and the book feels epic without magic because of  Johannes’ poetic voice:

Johannes is very sure of himself and his important place in his world, but this confidence is broken down over the course of the story, as the learns how much bigger the world is than he thought, and that he is not truly invincible, as he’d always believed.  With meditations on freedom, community, and art alongside the adventures, I feel like this would make a good read-aloud.  I’d still want the print book on hand, though, for the gorgeous illustrations – classical landscape oil paintings to which artist Shawn Harris has added Johannes, matching the style of each one.  It’s also just been named one of Publisher’s Weekly best children’s books of 2023. This is one to be savored.