Where is Rusty?

February 16, 2015
Dutch artist Posthuma (A Pond Full of Ink) offers a genial, fast-moving mystery as a curious pup named Rusty, distracted by one of those ubiquitous kitchen-gadget demonstrations, gets separated from his mother and his friends in a department store. Two evil-looking watchdogs threaten to catch any stray pups they find and “lock them in the pound,” and readers follow Rusty’s odyssey through obscure corners of the multi-floored store, enjoying the canine embellishments along the way: dog-bone chandeliers, dog mannequins, and stunning dog couture. Posthuma keeps the action galloping along while never losing his sense of cheer as Rusty eludes his pursuers. “They look among the soft toys in the toy department. Where’s Rusty?” Fortunately, finding Rusty is easy for readers—there’s always a spotlight on him. The second time around, children will enjoy the artist’s elaborately developed alternate world, complete with towering wiglike coiffures, suits that allow for protruding dog tails, and Rube-Goldberg-style contraptions like the store’s complex plumbing network and a machine with a distillation apparatus that makes—of course—dog bones. This is a tale worth chewing on. Ages 3–up.

January 15, 2015
In a city populated entirely by dogs of all breeds-pups are in collars, but all adult dogs are in human clothes-one youngster who must have some beagle in him has an adventure when he wanders away from his mother and his two friends at a department store.The whimsical, cartoonish dogs bustle around one another against a detailed urban environment rendered in ink and colorful watercolor. It's an enjoyable romp, with simple, well-paced text. Before Rusty's group of canines enters the department store-adorned with plaster bone-and-heart motifs over the doors-Mother reminds her charges of a safety rule. " 'It's very busy inside, ' she says. 'So what do we do?' 'We all stay together!' chant Rusty, Henrietta, and Toby." Rusty's nose, however, soon lures him to the fourth floor, where a lady dog in an apron is demonstrating a dog-biscuit machine for "picky guests and hungry pups." Rusty realizes he is lost at the same time that he overhears two watchdogs, with fierce-looking uniforms and menacing equipment, discussing their plan to catch stray pups and literally impound them. After fleeing through a marvelous labyrinth of ventilation pipes, Rusty hides in various departments-in plain view to astute readers-until a salesperson observes, "I'm sure we don't have a lamp in our collection with hairy feet." The skillful blend of human and canine characteristics in this romp will make for many a chuckle. (Picture book. 3-7)

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January 1, 2015

PreS-K-Rusty heads to the department store in the big city with his mother and siblings. But when the small white terrier's curiosity leads him to wander, the search is on as everyone sets out to find the missing pup. The twist comes as he tries to hide from the intimidating watchdogs, making it even more difficult for his worried mother to find him. Though the story is choppy, the busy illustrations will certainly keep readers entertained, as they must also join in the search and spot Rusty on each page, the job made easier by the text. This book will make a good addition for fans of dog books and for children who enjoy "I Spy" books.-Betsy Davison, Cortland Free Library, NY

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