BookLife

This delightful picture book from librarian/author CarrieAnne (A Natural Alphabet) tells the story of a sweet brown dog who loves nothing more than a good nap on the picnic table, toasting his tummy in the sun. But summer fades, and Brown Dog must also tolerate those less desirable seasons where the wind is cold, the ground is hard (or squishy and wet), and his owners make him brave the elements for those all-important trips outside to potty. Brown Dog's only consolation during those months is a snooze in front of a cozy fire, curled up like a donut. And soon enough, the sun returns, the air is warm, the wind is gentle, and his beloved spot awaits.

As both author and illustrator, CarrieAnne has created a simple, stirring book for small children that charms with its wistful sense of simple pleasures and seasonal changes while inviting new readers with spare, crisp prose and art bursting with canine character. The illustrations, too, tend toward a warm minimalism, the black and white line drawings accented by wonderful bursts of color and capturing well-observed eccentricities of dog movement and behavior. Brown Dog is so lifelike that it's no surprise that the book is dedicated to the memory of the author's own brown dog, Mr. Buttons, whose photo, like the illustrations, inspire that surge of companionable pleasure that comes with saying "good boy" to a favorite furry companion. The storytelling, meanwhile, encourages empathy for pets in the face of inclement weather, while gently demystifying the cycles of seasons.

Brown Dog is a lovely, gentle offering for young readers and the grown ups lucky enough to read to them, demonstrating that joy is infectious across species. It's a quiet book for quiet moments spent sharing a story and a cuddle, maybe with the family dog curled up close by.

Takeaway: Warm, wonderfully observed story of a dog experiencing the seasons.

Comparable Titles: Luca Tortolini's My Dog and I, Paul Meisel's My Happy Year by E. Bluebird.