Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio (review)

Mrs. Poodle is proud of all her pups, even Gaston, who, as the size of a teapot, doesn’t quite fit in with his teacup siblings, Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, and Ooh-La-La. One day at the park, the Poodle family encounters Mrs. Bulldog and her brood, the robust Rocky, Ricky, Bruno—and the fluffy, teacup-sized Antoinette. “It seems there’s been a terrible mistake,” the mamas concur, and, after some evaluative circling, Gaston and Antoinette decide to swap families. Yet Gaston doesn’t take to typical bulldog romping, and Antoinette struggles in the refined atmosphere of the Poodles’ pink-saturated home. While they return to the comfort of their original families, they learn a valuable lesson about being oneself (that they then pass on to their own offspring when they grow up and get married to each other) in this charming exploration of the deceptiveness of appearances. Robinson’s gorgeous acrylic illustrations evoke Parisian life, from the simple refinement of apartments to the ornate wrought iron of park benches, in a palette reminiscent of French macarons, grounded by sophisticated greys. These winking depictions of privileged canine life (for instance, Gaston in a smart neckerchief) convey both humor and haute homeyness, as does DiPucchio’s playful prose, which immediately engages with its tone of familiarity. Useful for a lighthearted look at feelings of not quite fitting in (or even at adoption), this delightful readaloud will have audiences très enchantés, indeed.