Hot Dog by author/illustrator
Doug Salati takes readers on a sometimes hectic, but always entertaining
journey with a dachshund and his owner through blistering city streets. Grocers,
cleaners, errand after errand. Dodging sidewalk skateboards. Surrounded by the
rush of traffic—right up to the instant when the overwhelmed dog refuses to
take another step.
Salati demonstrates how a
wonderfully lyrical text can be created with very few words. I counted four on
a double page spread: “concrete crumbles sirens screech”—just enough to point
the reader to the detailed artwork that perfectly conveys the frenzied tumult
of a city street in summer.
Then comes “an island … wild and
long and low” and the frantic pace that drove the narrative begins to slow. There’s
room for a breath of the cool, salty sea air.
The pace slows again and now “sun
sinks down, swallowed by the sea” until…
Refreshed at last, we’re happily returned
home ready for dreams of a glorious seaside day.
Children will delight in the
canine character, the richly detailed illustrations, and the fun.
But there is a thoughtfulness
here as well. A reminder about the importance of not just looking, but seeing …
and remembering to be present in the moment.
WINNER OF THE 2023 CALDECOTT MEDAL
Readers ages 3–5
Recommended for home and school
libraries.
