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  • Lulu and the Dog from the Sea by Hilary McKay
  • Deborah Stevenson
McKay, Hilary . Lulu and the Dog from the Sea; illus. by Priscilla Lamont. Whitman, 2013. [112p]. ISBN 978-0-8075-4820-2 $13.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 2-3.

Animal-loving Lulu met readers first when she fostered a duck egg (in Lulu and the Duck in the Park, BCCB 10/12). Now she, her parents, and her cousin/best friend Mellie are going on a seaside holiday, and Lulu is intrigued to find that the neighborhood boasts a skittish abandoned dog, who cunningly scavenges food from garbage cans (and sometimes tables). Despite her parents' skepticism, Lulu, aided by the ever-loyal Mellie, begins to win the trust and affection of the lonely pooch, and when the girls find themselves lost in an early morning expedition, it's the dog from the sea who comes to the rescue. Like Lulu's first outing, this is rich in the guileless and eccentric charm that is McKay's hallmark, and the details of a family sorting out the difference between a dream vacation and a real one (Mellie's determination to build and fly a kite is a significant subplot) will ring true to many readers. The story is deepened by the tale of the dog himself, a third-person view that gives him his own personality and life story ("The dog from the sea liked the cottage. Roasted chickens lived in the kitchen there"). As a result, this will appeal [End Page 428] strongly to young canine fans, who are generally short of solid easy readers to chew on, as well as those already won over by high-spirited Lulu. Personable and copious spot art conveys the friendly, informal tone of the story.

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