Night market rescue by Charlotte Cheng, illustrated by Amber Ren

 This delightful debut picture book combines the familiar story of a stray dog finding a home with the specific cultural experience of a night market in Taiwan.

GoGo, a medium-sized black dog with perky ears, ventures out to follow the sweet smells on a swirl of pink sparkles and ends up at a night market. Cheerful red lanterns fill the sky and booths with tasty food line the streets. GoGo sniffs and tastes and explores until he finds a little girl, all alone, under a tree with a cloud of blossoms like pink moonlight. The two explore the market together, enjoying the sights, tastes, and sounds until she is reunited with her parents. GoGo starts to leave with sad eyes, but to his delight the family calls him and he too has found a home.

Ren, the illustrator of Mo Willems' Because has art that sparkles and lights up the night, perfect for this magical trip into a night market. There are delightful details to find and tastes and scents to imagine in all the delicacies pictured. A comforting story of found family and a beautiful depiction of a community experience.

Verdict: This isn't necessarily a must-have for most collections, but if you have the budget to expand a little it would make a great storytime choice to go along with trying some different foods or exploring markets around the world.

ISBN: 9780593531723; Published May 2023 by Rocky Pond Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library