Salati, Doug. Hot Dog. Alfred A Knopf, 2022. 978-0-593-30843-1. 40 p. $17.99. Grades PreK-2.
Told in spare text, this story of a woman and her long-haired dachshund is no trivial tale. The unnamed pair live in a city and set out on a hot summer morning to run errands. With a to-do list in hand, the woman leads her adorable pup along crowded and noisy sidewalks, and the urban chaos upsets the tiny canine. Refusing to budge another inch, the animal sits down in the middle of a busy street in protest. The guardian scoops up her pet and realizing their need to get away, they head to the seashore by train and ferry. They breathe in fresh sea air and with umbrella in hand proceed to the beach to spend the afternoon. Without a leash, the little dog runs free and enjoys digging in the sand, splashing in the waves, and collecting rocks, which the woman uses to make rock art. As sunset approaches, both of them board the ferry for home. The twosome exit the subway to streets that are now quieter, less crowded and cooler. Feeling refreshed, they return home for dinner and a “deep ocean sleep.” The lyrical text is sprinkled with alliteration, onomatopoeia, and rhyme. What makes this story shine is the amazing artwork. For the initial city scenes, the images are vertically placed, each framed with a black border. This technique cleverly demonstrates the overcrowding, frenzy and din of the streets, and a few drawings give the dachshund’s perspective. The horizontal pictures at the seaside and of the city at night are unframed and are mostly full or double page spreads, which creates a sense of tranquility and openness. Salati uses pencil, gouache, and Photoshop to craft illustrations that touch the senses. There are the familiar scents of the city on their return (dog-trash can; woman-vegetable stand). City sounds are portrayed by the overwritten words on the drawings of the traffic jam (Hawwnk…Honk…Beep) and the construction site (Tukka…Tukka…Tukka). The orange and yellow image of pedestrians in the sweltering heat looks almost too hot to touch. The artist creatively represents the wind in the flapping ears and ruffled fur of the pup on the ferry, and the reader can almost feel the gentle breeze as the sheer curtains in the bedroom billow out from the open window.
THOUGHTS: This outstanding picture book reminds us to take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of the world with those we love. This is an essential purchase for elementary libraries. Young readers won’t be able to wait to take Hot Dog home.
Picture Book Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member
