STRONGHEART

Caldecott medalist McCully sheds light on a forgotten pioneer.

Growing up in World War I Germany, Etzel von Oeringen—later known as “Strongheart”—is trained as a police dog. After the war, he’s discarded and sent to a kennel in the United States, where he’s found by Hollywood screenwriter Jane and her director husband, Larry. When Larry abruptly enters the yard of the kennel, Etzel attacks. Understandably frightened, Jane screams and runs, but her unmannerly husband demands she, “HALT AND KEEP STILL!”—a directive followed by both Jane and Etzel. Given McCully’s penchant for illustrating stories about strong girls and women, it’s particularly confusing that Larry’s disturbing behavior isn’t examined. Larry believes Etzel can act if he can learn to relax, which Larry “teaches” by pushing Etzel over repeatedly and shouting, “Play!” If readers can endure the unlikable owner and struggle through the halting pace, they’ll learn of Strongheart’s rise to fame to become a well-loved screen star. McCully uses bright colors to offset the muted tones of Strongheart’s coat, but so much vibrancy can be distracting.

While it’s laudable that McCully has ensured this story isn’t lost to the annals of history, it’s not her strongest visual or written work