Pawcasso
by Remy LaiPublished by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on May 25, 2021
Genres: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Animals
Pages: 240
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Remy Lai, the award-winning creator of Pie in the Sky makes her middle-grade graphic novel debut, Pawcasso, about the unexpected friendship between the loneliest girl in class and the coolest canine in town.
Every Saturday, Pawcasso trots into town with a basket, a shopping list, and cash in paw to buy groceries for his family. One day, he passes eleven-year-old Jo, peering out the window of her house, bored and lonely. Astonished by the sight of an adorable basket-toting dog on his own, Jo follows Pawcasso, and when she’s seen alongside him by a group of kids from her school, they mistake her for Pawcasso’s owner.
Excited to make new friends, Jo reluctantly hides the truth and agrees to let “her” dog model for an art class the kids attend. What could go wrong? But what starts as a Chihuahua-sized lie quickly grows Great Dane-sized when animal control receives complaints about a dog roaming the streets off-leash. With Pawcasso’s freedom at stake, is Jo willing to spill the truth and risk her new friendships?
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who:
- Are 7 – 10 years old.
- Like books about dogs.
- People that don’t use a leash to walk their dogs.
- Like graphic novels.
- Are reluctant readers.
Many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Minion Reviews is a series where my 10-year-old daughter reads and reviews books. It’s kidlit reviews from the mouth of a kid.
Everything that follows is 100% her opinion. So I’m just going to step back and give her the keyboard and let her do her thing!
Minion’s Rating:
I gave this book five unicorn horns because I really like dogs and books about dogs, and I liked the dog Pawcasso. I think it was cool how Pawcasso would go around town getting things for his owner. There was an art club in the book, which I really liked because I love art. I learned some things, too.
About The Book:
Pawcasso is about a dog that wanders around town with no leash on and some people are mad about that. Also, Pawcasso goes to an art club every week and the kids always paint a picture of him. Jo tries to make friends with the kids at the art club, but she lies about owning Pawcasso, which you should never do.
Five things I liked:
- Pawcasso could get things for his owner by himself by going into town with a picnic basket, a list, and some money.
- Pawcasso went to an art club, where the children made art of him. There’s painting, too, and I love to paint!
- Most people in the town knew Pawcasso, but some didn’t, and it caused a problem.
- Pawcasso is really cute and funny, just like my dogs!
- You shouldn’t lie that a dog is yours just to get attention (but I would still want the dog!).
Meet My Own Pawcasso . . . Thalia!
((Minion definitely drew a very lovely picture of Thalia . . . which I have absolutely not misplaced. *cough* I will find it and update this post, but I assure you, it was a cute doggo that fit with the art theme.))
My dog is part Husky and part German Shepard. She is a very big dog. One of her eyes is half blue and half brown. She makes a good art model, just like Pawcasso, because she sleeps a lot and stays in one spot. Both her and Pawcasso can do cool tricks. She can shake, sit, lay down, and fetch.
On the subject of leashes . . .
I think dogs should be on a leash unless they are at home because they could chew people’s things up and break things or wander off and get hurt. I learned that dogs off leashes is a big problem.
We walk Thalia on a leash when we’re in public, even though she’s nice. Sometimes people are scared of her because she’s big. She loves to run around our yard without a leash sometimes at home, especially when there’s snow!
Mama Minion’s Thoughts
How to even say how much I enjoyed this book? First of all, Minion is a reluctant reader, so trying to find something that catches her attention is a challenge at the best of times. It’s hard to go wrong with dog books, though. Minion and I read this together, and she read the entire thing to me (normally we need to alternate pages) and talked about the pictures and some of the things going on.
Pawcasso is a book about a dog, of course, but it’s really so much more than that, and I appreciated the complexities of the book. I’m not sure Minion really cared as much, but at least I know she still got things out of it, since we had a nice discussion about it! The main character, Jo, is extremely relatable. What she really wants, more than anything, is a dog . . . and maybe a few friends? She struggles with making friends, with siblings that she doesn’t always get along with, and with the fact that her father is often away on business.
At the heart of the story, of course, is a dog named Pawcasso, who’s really quite a character in and of himself. Pawcasso attracts attention because he travels into town with a basket with money and a shopping list. No one knows where he comes from, but he’s a regular, once a week. Some people love Pawcasso. Others are concerned about a dog wandering around off a leash with no owner. This really divides the town and sparks a discussion about leash laws and dog ownership and how to handle (or, sometimes, how to not handle) disagreements with your neighbors.
Pawcasso is definitely funny, with all sorts of quirky characters. Jo herself can be funny, and Pawcasso certainly, especially his penchant for rolling in poop. All the characters are memorable, though, and there’s more to them than they seem. Even Jo’s sister, Tina, who comes through in some touching sibling bond moments. Even the cranky old man that lives across the street from the dog groomer and seems to hate dogs with a passion. Lai does a marvelous job of weaving deeper backstories into each character.
Pawcasso can be serious, too, though, and I was surprised by how hard it hit me in the feels. I was expecting a feel-good story about a dog, but this book is so much more than that! Yes, that’s also part of it, but it sends a wonderful message at the same time while hitting all the right feels. It’s a book that kids will enjoy and that parents won’t mind reading together. It’s got a little bit of something for everyone.
This is also a book I’d definitely recommend for teachers and librarians. It’d be a great addition to any library or classroom. In my library’s case, at least, graphic novels are really gaining in popularity, so that’s always a win. Not only does it have colorful, easy-to-follow artwork, but it sends a message that’s really important for kids about how to disagree the right way and that there are two sides to every argument. Sometimes you have to stop and take a moment to consider someone else’s perspective.
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This is so cute! Thalia is absolutely beautiful and if I walked past her on the street… well, I wouldn’t be walking past I’d be asking for a cuddle!
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And she would absolutely love it. Dog loves her cuddles and loves meeting new people. The weirdo. xD