Hey, Boy

PreS-Gr 2—A true bond will last even when individuals are separated for long periods of time. Such is the case with the unnamed boy and dog in this touching picture book. When the boy adopts the pup, they dream of all the adventures they will have together. Sadly, an accident prevents this, and the boy has to give up the dog until he has "grown up." He stays in touch with his friend's adoptive owners and visits when he can. Time passes, then more, and just when readers think there is no hope, the boy and the dog's dreams come true. Strouse's plainspoken narrative will choke readers up a bit as the boy matures and the dog grows older. Any reader who has had a pet will reflect on the time that they have lost. That being said, neither character dwells on what could have been, so the ending has an air of contentment. In conjunction with the text, the infographic-like designs are quite poignant; children's hearts will ache to see the little black puppy staring forlornly from behind bars. Most pages feature little other than the characters and a few objects on a white background. However, for emotional beats, color and background expand to fill the page in order to better influence the tone.