The Rescues: Finding Home by Tommy and Charlie Greenwald, illustrated by Shiho Pate

Moose, a scruffy brown pup with one eye, lives alone in an animal shelter. When new dog Bear, a small white dog with three legs and a mohawk, comes to live there too, the two become friends. They have a goofy conversation about their names and end up being rescued by Cathy, a plump, smiling lady with brown skin and dark curls. In their second adventure, Cathy has a fence built to keep them safe, but the two decide to venture outside it. When they return, they meet a new friend named Tiger, a shy stray cat. Cathy takes Tiger in as well and the three settle in together for a cozy evening in their third and final adventure. The simple art, in soft, pastel hues, varies from spot art to full and half pages.

There are always new books about pets, especially rescue animals. It's a perennial topic that kids love and there is always a plethora of titles to choose from (unlike, shall we say, books about sports, although Greenwald also has a new chapter series on sports available...) However, when choosing which titles I'll add to my library, I look not only at the content of the books, for diversity, a twist or hook that differentiates them from other series, and to see what they can add to my collection, but also, and most importantly, I look at the potential audience. Early readers and beginning chapters are a huge part of my collection and I spend a lot of time curating these collections and making sure I have a wide variety of offerings available - not just in content, but in word count, reading difficulty, and illustration. My most recent overhaul of these areas including creating a transitional chapters section and I am currently looking specifically for titles to fill in this area between early readers and beginning chapters.

This new series is the perfect fit with easy reader-style chunks of dialogue, spot art, and a slightly larger layout than a typical 6x9 easy reader size. A lot of my transitional chapters are graphic novels and while this doesn't fit into that category, it is similar enough to be very accessible to young readers.

Verdict: If you are looking for nontraditional, or nonleveled easy readers, for transitional chapters, and for gentle reads for young listeners and readers, this will be a just right choice. There are no signs of a sequel yet, but the book appears to be the first in a series.

ISBN: 9781636550763; Published September 2023 by Red Comet Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library