MILTON’S SUITCASE ADVENTURE

Milton the dog accidentally embarks on a trip to Paris.

Milton, a snaggle-toothed pup with curly brownish-cream fur (Milton’s human family appears with light brown skin), is an expert at napping, no matter the venue. One day, when he falls asleep in a suitcase belonging to elegant Aunt Kay, he ends up on a plane, traversing the Atlantic Ocean; to his distress, Milton wakes in Paris. Aunt Kay stops his crying with a shopping spree, complete with cucumber eye treatment and beret. He visits the Louvre, dines with new friends on his own, takes himself to fromageries, and appears to court a poodle while boating on the Seine. Pantoja’s cartoons make the familiar subject matter pop: The linework is expressive, with rich purple tones signaling a Parisian evening, giving a touch of class to the simple illustrations. Distefano’s word choices are simple and direct, if inelegant (“He worried and felt bad. Milton wanted to cry”), and the book’s rhyming couplets maintain story-time verve, even when shoehorning in a questionable slant rhyme (“friends/French”). While hardly a grounded introduction to French daily life, Milton’s journey may serve as an early example of the value of travel in the vein of Eloise, proving equally delightful with its silly, too-sleepy puppy hero.

A travel-friendly addition to the cute-canine canon, best read aloud.