My Old Pal, Oscar

March 14, 2016
Hest and Bates return to the themes of their 2008 collaboration, The Dog Who Belonged to No One, in a tearjerker of a story about a heartsick boy who meets a stray dog on the beach. The day is as stormy as their unnamed narrator, who stomps across the sand while a perky black-and-white dog trails him. “Hello, you. Who are you? No tags? No name?” asks the boy before brushing the dog off. Readers gradually learn that the sandy-haired child is still mourning the death of his dog, Oscar. This is a story about mutual need, a need the boy takes a while to admit or recognize, but by the time a thunderstorm chases the two indoors, it’s clear the boy is ready to let this stray into his life. Bates, working in watercolor and pencil, creates wonderfully moody beachscapes dominated by gray stretches of sea and sky. While some readers may wonder whether the boy is going to attempt to find the dog’s actual owner, Hest subtly captures the boy’s sadness, resilience, and tenderness through his gruff, choppy narration. Ages 5–7. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates.

February 15, 2016
Alone at the beach, a black-and-white puppy huddles under the pier until it spots a child. The blond, white child plays alone with the puppy nearby, feigning indifference even while cataloging the puppy's lack of tags, big feet, "soft puppy beard," and "big black eyes." The persistent, perky pup doesn't accept the child's emphatic goodbye and gets an earful about the late, beloved Oscar. "You want to be pals. / Well, we can't be pals. No sir. No way. / Won't. Ever. Do. That. Again. Ever. / You know who was my pal? Oscar." Bates' striking watercolor-and-pencil illustrations let an autumnal spectrum of muted oranges, yellows, and grays flow across the pages. The spray of the waves, the far-off cries of the gulls, and the salted breeze of the sea are expertly evoked in these frames. But the deficit of honest emotion in Hest's scenes between puppy and child serves to rebuff rather than involve readers. Even the child's pervading melancholy is communicated in a sterile, forced manner. "The waves were really, really big, and I was really, really sad." No one will be surprised that the child eventually takes the puppy in, though readers who might have lost dogs themselves will be taken aback that there is no evidence of a search for this puppy's owner. Hest and Bates' previous joint dog project, The Dog Who Belonged to No One (2008), was a more tender and effective narrative. (Picture book. 5-7)

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April 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-A towheaded boy in a slicker roams the beach and finds himself being shadowed by a black-and-white stray puppy. The endearing canine is gently rejected despite its "soft puppy beard" and "big black eyes" because the boy still mourns his recently deceased dog, Oscar. "I'll never stop being sad," the child promises. However, a thunderstorm means the boy can't resist cradling the pup in his arm and running home to safety, where he shows the yet-to-be-named pal a picture of the title character. Bates employs watercolors irresistibly to capture both rainy beach and captivating puppy. Hest's pacing reflects the growing friendship. VERDICT The creative pair behind The Dog Who Belonged to No One now share a welcome twist on bibliotherapy following the death of a beloved pet.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

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