Eggers, Dave. The Eyes and the Impossible. Illustrated by Shawn Harris. Knopf. 2023. 978-1-524-76420-3. 249 p. $19.99. Grades 3 and up. 

Meet Johannes. A dog who lives on an island with all sorts of friends, various types of birds, raccoons, squirrels, and buffalo. Johannes is free and lightning fast, but the buffalo are not. He is the eyes of the island who works with the other helpers to report back to the buffalo nightly. Johannes loves beauty. He is mesmerized by the rectangles that are being brought into the new building and appreciates all of the natural beauty he is surrounded by. When a large herd of goats are brought onto the island to clean up weeds, Johannes’ world expands in a way he never thought possible. Would his life be forever changed by meeting a new friend? The art in this book is existing landscapes that Shawn Harris added Johannes to in a seamless manner.

THOUGHTS: This Newbery winning title is interesting. Very thought provoking, funny at times, heart wrenching at others. The altered illustrations are fascinating. Harris has added Johannes to each landscape, and it seems like he has always been there!

Fantasy