FOSTER'S LEASH

A young girl fosters a dog for the first time in Sommer’s picture book.

An unnamed bespectacled girl with long auburn hair and peachy skin tells her story of bonding with her first foster dog, Pepper, an exuberant midsize mutt. While walking Pepper in the park one day, the girl meets a woman who notices Pepper’s unique red leash with the words “ADOPT ME” in bold yellow letters. The girl explains she’s fostering Pepper until the dog finds a permanent home. The woman responds: “She’s adorable!…It must be hard for you spending all this time bonding and then having to say goodbye.” A week later, a rescue volunteer calls to say they have a potential adopter for Pepper, and the girl is delighted for Pepper but sad and anxious to see her go. The adopter is the kind woman from the park. A few weeks later, while walking her new foster dog, the girl hears a familiar bark: Pepper is with her new person, but hasn’t forgotten the girl who cared for her until she found her forever home. BulankinaKa’s cartoon illustrations, while somewhat flat, capture the warmth of the tale. The prose is clear and unfussy (“It wasn’t easy saying goodbye last time. But I chose to be strong. Helping animals was important to me”), and Sommer gives good insight into the highs and lows of fostering. A how-to is included.

Engaging and sensitive, a roadmap to rescuing animals.