Scout
Scout the Scottie dog is the owner of a shiny, bouncy red ball. But when it goes missing, Scout scours his apartment building from top to bottom in search of the precious plaything. Along the way, he meets a purple cat who insists she can bounce higher than any ball; a goldfish who brags that his bowl is rounder than a ball; and a hamster who declares that he can run faster than—well, you know. Just when you think this is a picture book about how everything is relative, the characters join the hunt for the culprit and, once he is found, the story winds in a new direction. It’s perhaps too much plot for a single book, but McMillan’s bug-eyed, digitally created Scout is a likable pooch, and kids who enjoy stories about dogs, misplaced toys, and mistaken identity—all common picture-book themes—will likely embrace this bold, bright offering from a debut author-illustrator. Preschool-Grade 2. --Ann Kelley