The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Hughes, Alison

Spare Dog Parts

32 pp. | Orca | January, 2016 | Trade ISBN 978-1-4598-0704-4 $19.95

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ashley Spires. A resourceful and intelligent girl wearing a lab coat explains the just-rightness of her lovable mutt's goofy parts, including an "odd, tubby, stubby body" ("perfect for cuddling") and "four spare unmatched paws" ("but they all work"). The short, descriptive read-aloud text complements Spires's friendly, cartoonish ink and watercolor illustrations, which are elevated by emotive facial expressions and well-balanced compositions.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester