Madlenka's Dog
Precocious little Madlenka is off again, around the world and back  through time, without ever straying a block from her Manhattan home. This time,  Madlenka wants a dog so badly that she gets her wish--or does she? None of her  neighbors can seem to agree on just what sort of dog she's walking. (Never mind  that Madlenka's red leash doesn'tseemto be holding any sort of dog at  all.)We're once again on a trip through Madlenka's imagination, inspired by the fond  canine remembrances of her neighbors and gently illustrated by Caldecott Honor  artist Peter Sís. "'Look, everyone. I'm walking my dog.' 'Oh, he's white and  short,' says Mr. McGregor. 'No, he's big and woolly,' says Mr. Eduardo. Each  sidewalk acquaintance shares their memories of dogs past with clever little  flaps. A flip-up drum (McGregor plays for the FDNY Pipes and Drums) shows wee  McGregor with his West Highland white terrier; Eduardo's bicycle produce cart  pops open to a reveal a scene from the Andes, with Eduardito dwarfed by a  towering Newfoundland.Despite the very simple text, Madlenka's wild imaginings should hold up to  enthusiastic rereading, especially as she travels into the fantastic past with  her friend Cleopatra (who, as it happens, has an imaginary horse). But that's not  surprising, given the involving nature of Madlenka'sprevious journey, the last time  that Sís skillfully showed us the happy and peculiar place of a little girl "in  the universe, on a planet, on a continent, in a country, in a city, in a house  on a block where"--at least this time around--"everyone is walking a dog." (Ages  4 to 8)--Paul Hughes