How Smudge Came

"If there's one thing Cindy knows, this is no place for a puppy," begins this heartbreaking and heartwarming tale of a girl, a dog, and two communities. Cindy, a young woman with Down Syndrome - something that is never mentioned directly in the book, but made evident through various elements of the artwork and story (like the fact that Cindy lives in a supervised group home) - desperately wants to keep the rescued puppy, named Smudge by a mostly blind cancer patient at the hospice where she works, but the people in charge of her home insist that he must go to the SPCA. When her attempts to retrieve him from the shelter prove unsuccessful, she is overcome by sadness and anger: "Cindy sits in the park for a long time, but the hurt won't show more stop. Every time she breathes. If there's one thing Cindy doesn't know, it's how to find that puppy. Crying won't help."

The happy ending to this terribly sad situation feels utterly natural and unforced, and is all the more satisfying for being so! I was tearing up almost as soon as I began reading How Smudge Came, a testament, I think, to the power of Nan Gregory's words, which instantly sucked me in to the story, and placed me squarely in Cindy's shoes. Without fanfare or didactic display, the author makes the reader feel as Cindy does - makes them feel what it must be like to have fewer choices, to always be told what to do, and how to do it. The artwork, done in colored pencil by Ron Lightburn, is perfectly suited to the tale, capturing Cindy's emotional state, in each scene, to perfection, and greatly enhancing their impact, as a result. Highly, highly recommended - to anyone looking for stories featuring characters with Down Syndrome, or for animal tales in general. show less

Excellent. Serious, but still enjoyable. And very effective. Every child who reads this will be more compassionate to people
w/ disabilities and to stray animals, and will understand something about the value of animal therapy, the need to allow pets into care centers. I teared up.

“How Smudge Came” is a touching story, told through the eyes of a young woman with Down syndrome. She finds a puppy and wants more than anything to keep it. This book shows the bond the woman makes with the puppy, and the understanding she has that she cannot keep it. It is a great story for children to read, especially since they can connect to it if they long for a puppy as well. The book has a wonderful ending that ties the whole story together. ‘If there’s one thing Cindy knows, this is the perfect place for a puppy.”

This is a good example of realistic fiction because it has a girl who has a real life problem of wanting a dog but not being able to have one at home.
Characterization: Cindy is a round character because we know a lot about her feelings by the way she talks about how she feels about the things and poeple around her.
Media: colored pencil

a book about cindy wanting to keep her little puppy. her family says that she can't keep the puppy so they take it away. cindy goes to work and it turns out that they adopted the puppy for cindy to keep at work.
1 book

A story about a girl who finds a puppy that brings joy to her life.

Blevis, Mark and Andrea Ross. January 12, 2007. Heartbreak and Happiness: How Smudge Came: Review. Just One More Book Podcast. http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/01/12/how-smudge-came/