Marc Simont (1915–2013)

In this delightful picture-book, based upon a story told him by a friend (Reiko Sassa, credited on the cover and title page), Marc Simont unfolds a simple but heartwarming tale of a family, their picnic in the park, and the stray dog who wins their hearts. Naming this new canine friend Willy, the children of the family play with him all day, and beg to be allowed to bring him home. Their parents, thinking he might belong to someone (or perhaps that it is too great a responsibility?) demur, show more and family and dog part. Willy remains in each family member's mind, however, and when they return to the park the next Saturday, they look for him again...

I can easily see why this title won Simont a Caldecott Honor in 2002 - he was also so honored for Ruth Krauss's The Happy Day, and won the Caldecott Medal outright for his work on Janice May Udry's A Tree Is Nice - as the illustrations are simply charming! Willy's depiction, in particular, is very effective, capturing his canine moods, from elation to depression, perfectly! The story is likewise very winsome, with a happy ending that will bring a smile to the face of young dog-lovers. It is to them I would recommend The Stray Dog, and to fans of the artist. show less

Love the layout of the pages, how the text and picture fit to make 1 1=3, so to speak. Especially effective is when the family is returning from the first picnic over the bridge, and when they're thinking about the dog all week long. I also liked how simple and concise this is, skipping all unnecessary text when pictures can tell the story just as well.

When a little dog appears at a family picnic, the girl and boy [lay with him all afternoon, and they name him Willy. At day's end they say good-bye. But the dog has won their hearts and stays on their minds. The following Saturday the family returns to the picnic grounds to look for Willy, but they are not alone—the dogcatcher is looking for him too.

A stray dog wanders in on a family's picnic. Mom thinks he looks hungry.. The kids feed, name, and play with the dog until it is time to show more leave. The son wants to take him home but dad refuses, saying Willy belongs to someone. His daughter is convinced. Maybe Willy doesn't belong to anybody.

All week, each member of the family becomes preoccupied with thoughts of Willy. The next Saturday, they return to the park and try to find Willy. The dog runs past the family while running from the dog warden. The dog warden gets Willy into his net, but the kids claim Willy as theirs. The dog warden doesn't believe the kids.

"He has no collar. He has no leash. This dog is a stray. He doesn't belong to anybody."

The quick thinking kids prove the dogwarden wrong. The small boy takes off his belt proclaiming
"Here's his collar."

The boy's sister removes the ribbon from her hair saying
"Here's his leash."

With Willy properly collared and leashed, the family takes Willy home.
I like the story because it mildly brings up the leash requirement that is now law almost everywhere. Mostly, I love this book for the illustrations, also drawn by the author, Marc Simont.

Mr. Simont's drawings can tell the story without the text. His attention to detail is fantastic. I love details. When the boy removes his belt, his shorts pop down and he grabs them. As the kids play with their new pet, he is still holding up his pants. Even with both hands holding tightly, the shorts sag a little.

The neighborhood dogs are drawn with breed-specific features, along with their distinguishing owners. If it is true that an owner and their pet eventually look alike, Mr. Simont's illustrations are spot on. Kids will enjoy Willy's story and will heartedly cheer for him to out run the dog warden, who is in his full dog warden outfit.The attention does not stop with those examples. Each spread has little details that make the illustrations some of the best I have seen since I began reviewing picture books.

The Stray Dog is a Caldecott Honor Book. If you are a collector of wonderfully illustrated picture books, The Stray Dog is a must have.

Originally reviewed at Kid Lit Reviews:
http://kid-lit-reviews.com/2012/08/10/the-stray-dog-from-a-true-story-by-reiko-s... show less

I enjoyed the book The Stray Dog. This book had excellent illustrations throughout where you could tell the families mood, and attitudes throughout the story. The book gives young readers a sense that everyone belongs somewhere, no matter if a dog has a collar or is a stray, they belong somewhere. You can see the dogs sad emotions when alone grow into excited expressions when with the family.