BARK PARK!

Dogs of many sizes and breeds accompany their owners to an extensive dog park for a day of canine cavorting.

The story begins with two dogs, a Chihuahua and a Great Dane that live together, waiting by their door with excitement about going to the park. Other dogs proceed in turn to the park with their owners, a multicultural cast of human characters of different ages and ethnicities. The dog owners include older adults, two women in hijabs, and an interracial pair of dads with their baby. The dogs and their humans play and interact in small groups in vignettes and single-page illustrations, followed by a double-page spread with all the characters in action spread across the wide expanse of the well-appointed park. The dogs and owners then return to their homes for food and naps, during which some of the dogs dream of their time at the park. The minimal text unfolds in rhyming couplets with just a few words per page. The spare text is well-matched with delicate, detailed illustrations in pen and ink with watercolor and colored pencil, with extensive use of white space. This deceptively simple story can be used with a wide range of young readers: toddlers just starting to listen to real stories, preschoolers who like finding tiny details in illustrations, and emergent readers who will be able to handle the short, amusing text.

There’s a place for everyone at this dog park, with an inclusive, cheerful atmosphere and a subtle message that everyone can play together and get along.