cover image MR. K AND YUDI

MR. K AND YUDI

Karen Stanton, . . Golden/Family Storytime, $9.95 (40pp) ISBN 978-0-307-10210-2

When old Mr. K is taken to the Shady Acres rest home, his dog, Yudi, searches everywhere for him. Finally, "limping and stumbling," Yudi chances upon the retirement community and literally bumps into his dear friend. ("Bump. Yudi's nose hit [the] rubber wheel" of Mr. K's wheelchair.) Debut author/artist Stanton tells the tale from Yudi's point of view without anthropomorphizing, and while the narrative is lengthy, the canine's perspective offers some opportunities for humor. For instance, readers watch Yudi search for Mr. K's blue slippers, finding instead wingtips, cowboy boots and an entire "garden of slippers" belonging to the denizens of the rest home. Brightly colored acrylic paint and collage-on-paper illustrations show glimmers of Yudi's personality, but the flatly representational style occasionally results in awkward distortions. For instance, as the dog supposedly lies on a rug near Mr. K's feet, Yudi seems oddly suspended in air. But the affection between dog and owner shines through. Ages 4-8. (May)