A dog's lucky find turns into a massive canine misunderstanding in the smart, funny, and playful picture book Nose to Nose, written and illustrated by Thyra Heder (How Do You Dance?).
Toby, a black-and-tan dog with a long tail, has moved into a new neighborhood and would like to make some friends. He introduces himself by marking a brick retaining wall, but making a splash on the wall does not help him make a splash socially. Other dogs don't acknowledge Toby when leaving their contributions, shown by Heder as colorful graffiti messages such as "Beware the babies" and "Frizz-Bs r best!" Then Toby finds a ball that "smell[s] like puddles and raccoons" and takes it home. The next morning, the scent messages are abuzz that the ball has a worried owner named Pancake. Toby's message of reassurance gets washed out, leaving a garbled note that appears to say, "mine now" and "fear me." Toby arrives at the park with the ball only to find angry messages and tense pups. When Toby and Pancake meet nose-to-nose, Toby smooths over the ruff feelings by initiating a game of chase, and soon all the dogs are having a ball.
Heder cleverly (and humorously) shows the hidden world of dog communication in a story that highlights the difficulties and rewards of seeking new friends. The artwork shines in light-drenched scenes and soft, translucent colors, and the spraying, crouching, and squatting postures of dogs leaving messages should appeal to young readers' senses of humor. This dog's-nose view of socializing would go well on any animal lover's shelf, and it may also resonate with children experiencing life as "the new kid." --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth services manager, Allen County Public Library