Sean Awesome: The Dog Next Door

In this second installment of the Sean Awesome series, blue-haired, animal-loving Sean confronts a first: a new canine neighbor, French bulldog Coco, who wears a red beret, appears to dislike him despite his best efforts (greetings, attempted hugs, offered snacks). Perturbed and preoccupied, Sean spies on Coco through a telescope. When he sees Coco enter the “International Dog School,” he appropriates a canine costume, sneaks in, and realizes that the hound may have “come from a foreign country” and perhaps “doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say.” After learning to say sit in several languages, Sean finds that the French—assis—lands him happy barks from the new neighbor. The text seems to ignore the idea that more than one language can be spoken in a single country, and Hwang’s unembellished text and Hong’s cut-paper art suggest an appeal to readers younger than the stated age range. A slight tale of friendship across language barriers. Ages 6–9. (Nov.)