Jackie Clark Mancuso

Hudson, an adorable dog himself, comes across a lost puppy one day. He tries taking the puppy to various haunts around Paris to see if anything triggers a memory of the puppy's home but to no avail. Finally, Hudson decides to see if his owner will take the puppy into their home.

I had heard that this was a good series of picture books set in France, but this book was the only title available in my library. It didn't seem to matter much that I hadn't read any other book featuring Hudson, as this book stands alone just fine. The story is sweet, showing how one can be a friend and help another in need. There are also some French terms interspersed throughout, which are defined both in the text and in a glossary at the back of the book.

The book also showcases many places throughout Paris, with the main text explaining a bit about the significance of each without appearing too didactic while the illustrations use bold brushstrokes to present each spot. I have only two quibbles here -- one is that the page spread featuring the Eiffel Tower results in the famous monument being almost entirely lost to the spine. The second is that the text labels for each place are in such faint white lettering that it's easy to miss them at first.

Overall, however, this is a fun read that kids will enjoy and learn a bit of culture from as well.… (más)