We Match!

Eight adorably motley visitors to a local dog park raise an intriguing question: What truly constitutes a “match”? Distinctly doggie-inflected dialogue by Barton (Glitter Everywhere!) and boisterous, comics-style ink and watercolor illustrations by Glick (Perros! Perros!/Dogs! Dogs!) launch forays into connection, and a gray terrier named Button provides commentary into a microphone. Two border collies initially pair up based on their identical markings (“I mean, we totally match”), but the discoveries widen when one bonds with a retriever over a shared passion for chasing balls, and the other finds kinship with a small white dog who loves wind-whipped car rides. “You can’t always tell right away, can you?” Button knowingly observes, as the doggo-matching game goes on to reveal shared feelings about sweater-wearing, squirrel-chasing, and more. Excellent fodder for charting and diagramming exercises, it’s also a funny and pointed object lesson about learning new tricks when it comes to seeking common ground. Character cards provide more info on each dog. Human figures are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. Ages 4–8. Agent: Victoria Wells Arms, HG Literary. (July)