Can I Be Your Dog?

February 15, 2018
A large, lonely dog named Arfy writes letters to residents of Butternut Street asking to be adopted so he won't have to continue living in a cardboard carton in an alley.Arfy introduces his story in a winning way on the cover by holding out an envelope with the title words in bold, hand-lettered print. The talented dog is shown holding a pencil in his mouth to write his first letter, which is delivered by a brown-skinned, female mail carrier with straight black hair. Arfy writes to each house or business on his street, but everyone turns the dog down for a different reason. Both the letters and responses are creatively composed in varying styles of lettering, from hand printing to typeface, and with humorous approaches, such as a form letter from the fire department saying "the position of: FIRE DOG has already been filled." The same mail carrier delivers each letter, looking increasingly worried about Arfy, and in a satisfying and surprising conclusion, she writes her own letter to Arfy offering to "be your person." The final endpapers show a map version of Butternut Street and the post office, with Arfy helping the mail carrier with her delivery route. A large format and bold, exuberant illustrations are well-matched with Arfy's enthusiastic personality and can-do attitude. The letter format makes this a fine choice for early-elementary students learning to compose letters.Persuasive writing by a persistently pleasing pooch. (Picture book. 4-8)

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March 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-Arfy, a floppy-eared mutt on Butternut Street, is on a mission to find his forever home. He writes a letter listing all of his admirable attributes (he is potty trained and has his own squeaky toy) to the people in the yellow house. The mail lady delivers Arfy's letter. Unfortunately, the people turn him down. Arfy keeps trying, writing more letters delivered by the mail lady. All write him back and decline his offer. Feeling sad and dejected, Arfy cries himself to sleep in his soggy box. When he wakes he finds a letter from the mail lady asking to be Arfy's person. Arfy, full of glee, sprints to the mail lady with his reply letter. Vibrantly colored digital illustrations, with no white space, captivate readers from the first page. Loosely placed shapes and textures artfully create Butternut Street. The story is told in illustrated, personalized letters. Arfy's are written in crayon and signed with a paw print. Readers will be cheer Arfy on and feel relief when he finds a person to love. The last page lists ways readers can help a homeless animal. VERDICT No bones about it; this humorous picture book will be a hit with storytime audiences and emergent readers.-Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
Preschool-G Arfy, an optimistic mutt who sleeps in a cardboard box in the alley, writes a series of amusing letters aimed at finding himself a new home. First, he sends notes to the family in a cheerful-looking house and to the butcher. He brags to the fire department that he knows his way around a fire hydrant. He offers to guard the junkyard. He even tries a smelly, tumbledown house. After a series of rejections, he receives an unexpected offer from the mail carrier who delivered his letters. Will he be her friend through snow, rain, heat, or gloom of night? Yes! Written with wit and empathy, the story unfolds entirely through the dog's correspondence and the energetic, colorful digital illustrations, which have a retro, cartoonlike sensibility. Just as Arfy's letters shift in tone from buoyant to hopeful to disheartened, the replies shift from polite to remote to downright mean, making the story's resolution even more satisfying. Sure to win the hearts of dog-lovers, this big, colorful picture book is fun for reading aloud.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)