cover image When Charley Met Grampa

When Charley Met Grampa

Amy Hest, illus. by Helen Oxenbury. Candlewick, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7636-5314-9

Having gotten to know each other in Charley’s First Night (2012), Henry and his dog Charley are now thick as thieves. But Henry’s grandfather is visiting, and he has “never been friends with a dog before.” There’s no need to worry, though: Hest and Oxenbury’s story is every bit as sweet and tender as its predecessor, and Charley proves he’s worthy of Grampa’s affection on a snowy afternoon when the man’s hat blows away. Oxenbury’s meticulous pencil-and-watercolor paintings and Hest’s knowing prose continue to reveal the unconditional love that flows between Charley and the humans in his life. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)