All the Best Dogs
by Emily Jenkins; illus. by Manuel Preitano
Intermediate    Delacorte    208 pp.
11/24    9780593650431    $17.99
Library ed.  9780593650448    $20.99
e-book ed.  9780593650455    $10.99

Jenkins presents a cadre of overlapping dog-lovers’ stories set in a Brooklyn neighborhood in this heartwarming tale of mischief and misunderstandings. Finely attuned to the stresses and changes of sixth-grade friendships and family dynamics, Jenkins’s third-person narrative deftly conveys each character’s experience. Ezra, while walking active puppy Cup-Cup, grapples with the distance his longtime friend Kaleb, owner of Mr. Cashmere, has put between them. Jilly adjusts to life with her aunt Valeria and her two less-than-welcoming terriers, Grover and Lottie. Meanwhile, Mei-Alice juggles a starring role in the school play with a chocolate-hungry “corgi-adjacent” pet at home. The sundry group of dogs, whose inner thoughts and barked conversations appear in italics, get themselves and their owners into trouble along the way. Black-and-white illustrations bring the diverse cast to life, and, thankfully, an introductory portrait of “The Best Dogs” and “Their People” offers a reference point. A sharp, humorous, and sweet story for dog lovers and more.

From the ">January/February 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.